Man's Best Friend
by Solarina
Summary: "Thank God that I have you with me, Rocket." said Alfred as he stroked the dog's fur. This is the true story of how the brave war dogs fought alongside the US marines during the Pacific War. Rated M now due to violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

Well, I saw this program on TV and it was about the Pacific War dogs that fought with the US marines. Obviously this story will center around Alfred. So any Alfred fans and animal lovers that are reading this, I hope you like it. I do have big plans for this story and will upload new chapters as often as I can. I'm sad when people who write such great stories don't post new chapter often, so I'll try not to do that. Hope you all enjoy, or find this first chapter interesting.

DISCLAIMER: Hetalia is not mine, it belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.

* * *

Chapter 1  
First Meeting

Alfred was frustrated and angry that he lost yet another battle to Kiku. Jungle warfare was _much _more difficult than he thought it would be. The unbearable heat during the day, the chills of the night, the dense brush, the swamps, the mosquitoes—too many obstacles. Let's not forget about the fact that Kiku and his troops were so well camouflaged that they easily hid themselves in the brush and would just wait for Alfred and his troops to walk by; then they'd open fire on them.

Alfred had already lost hundreds of men, and they had very few Japanese prisoners since most of them either fought to the death or killed themselves. The blond just wanted to end this war—this Hell-on-Earth—once and for all. Too many families have been broken.

As a result of his loses in the Pacific, the nation had a couple of permanent scars on his toned body, and his forehead was currently wrapped in bandages thanks to a bullet that had grazed his right temple during a shoot-out with Japanese troops.

Right now he was back on his own soil. They didn't call him back because of his injury, they told him that the marines had come up with a solution that could help him and his troops turn the tide in jungle warfare.

What was the solution, you ask? Dogs.

Alfred had to admit to himself that he thought the idea was silly at first. After all, dogs were supposed to be family pets and give company to their masters, not running on the battlefield with shells raining down on them and explosions ringing in their ears. Besides, where would they get enough dogs for multiple squads to handle? Not all the marines owned dogs, he didn't even have one himself.

However, his question was soon answered as they gave him more info on the topic. They were running campaigns for civilians to donate their dogs for these types of services. Also, the dog training camps were agreeing to take in a couple of dogs from the pound; it would give the canines a second chance at life.

Alfred asked why would people want to send their pets out to fight war overseas, and the answer he got was that the marines weren't going to be keeping the dogs when the war ended; the owners were told that they would get their dogs back when peace returned. And also because it gave people a sense of duty knowing that they were helping their country—helping him—in a small way.

Seeing that this plan was already set in motion, Alfred agreed to go on with it.

Though he didn't own a dog he had come in contact with many breeds from all over the world thanks to the diverse population of his land. Therefore, he was to be one of the dog handlers, meaning he would be walking into combat with the dog as well as care for it.

As he thought about the solution a couple more times, it didn't seem so silly anymore. If they could train a horse to do military work then surely they could train a dog. Besides, dogs had been helping Man for thousands of years and they had been a great help during the First World War.

Alfred remembered seeing the messenger dog running back and forth across the battlefield from one trench to the other. He never got to see the dog up close and personal, but he remembered how fast it ran and how useful it was for sending out messages. That was during the First World War, when Alfred was crouching down in his trench. Now, it was the Second World War and this time he was fighting against Kiku in the Pacific.

Alfred and a good couple handfuls of young marines were sent out to one of the dog training camps. They would have their own mess hall and it wouldn't be as crowded as normal training camps, so that put their minds at some ease.

The young marines that were with Alfred were seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, or in their early twenties. The blond had friendly conversations with them and made jokes. Hey, might as well get acquainted with everyone now since they were gonna be living with each other in the next couple of years. They all seemed like nice and amiable lads.

When they set foot on the campus all they could hear was barking. As they looked around their new "home" they saw two rows of kennels, each housing a single dog. They walked between the two rows to get a look at the canines. There were a lot of Dobermans, some German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, and several mixed breeds as well.

After seeing them all, Alfred and the others walked away from the kennels in hopes of stopping the barking that was now ringing in their ears. But even when they found the mess hall, which was past the barracks, they could still hear the barking.

_'Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?'_ thought Alfred as he and the others entered the mess hall.

The cooks already had their lunch ready for them. It was some soup with vegetables and pieces of meat in it, bread, and a glass of water. The soup was nice and warm, and the bread wasn't stale. Even though it wasn't a hamburger, Alfred was happy to get a decent amount of food into his stomach—fresh food at that! While he was in the Pacific he had to nibble at the few rations he could get a hold of, and then he'd stuff the leftovers in his pocket for later.

When they had finished their meal, they went into the barracks to organize their things. They didn't get much done because about ten minutes later they were called out to the kennels again. Knowing it was a Sergeant that was calling them they marched over to the kennels and saluted him; he nodded his head at them. He went over why they were all at the camp, what was happening in the Pacific, and what their goals were. He went to each marine and asked for their name. Alfred was the last one to be asked.

"And you?"

"Alfred F. Jones, sir."

"Hmm…" the Sergeant looked at the blonde's bandaged forehead. "What the hell happened to your head, son?"

"A bullet grazed my right temple, sir."

"I see… so you've been out there in the Pacific then?"

"Yes sir."

"Hmm." The Sergeant nodded his head at Alfred. "Very well, then. Welcome back, Jones."

After getting all their names and making sure that everyone was present, the Sergeant told them to go and pick their dog.

"Remember, choose wisely. That dog will be your partner for a long time." he said.

Alfred and his new comrades once again found themselves walking between the two rows of dog kennels. As he neared the middle of the kennels he looked to the left and saw a beautiful chocolate Labrador retriever. It saw the tall blond and immediately began to wag its tail. It stood on its hind legs and put its front paws on the kennel's gate. It looked up at Alfred with happy brown eyes and with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. It barked happily.

Alfred returned the gaze with his own blue eyes.

This chocolate Lab was the only dog that had come up to Alfred while wagging its tail. All the other dogs had just barked at him as he passed their kennel.

"Well, well. That's an interesting choice you've made there, Jones." said the Sergeant as he walked towards the blond. He had a clipboard with him now and it was holding many papers.

Alfred looked at him. "Actually sir, I think the dog chose me."

"Either way, it seems as though the fella likes you already." said the Sergeant as he searched through the papers on his clipboard.

"Ah-ha, here we go." he said when he found the one he wanted. "This guy's name is Rocket."

"Rocket, huh?" said Alfred.

"Yep. He's three years old and his owner donated him at one of our campaigns. Her name is Clara Johnson."

"Ah, so he has a mistress then."

"Yep, a little one."

"Little?"

"Uh-huh. According to this paper, Miss Johnson is only ten years old. She wanted Rocket to help the troops so her parents took her to one of our campaigns and signed him up."

Alfred looked back into the Lab's happy brown eyes. Rocket barked happily again and wagged his tail faster.

"So Jones, is Rocket the one you wish to fight alongside with?" the Sergeant asked.

Alfred glanced at the Sergeant and then at Rocket. The dog started jumping up and down on its hind legs while continuing to bark happily. This made the Sergeant chuckle. "Look at that, the fella's practically begging you to pick him."

Well, since the dog was so friendly towards him, why not? It was a beautiful dog, too.

"Alright, I'll give him a chance." said Alfred with a slight shrug of his broad shoulders.

* * *

Sorry if this chapter was short, but I'll make the other ones longer if possible. Please let me know what you think of this story, it really gets me fired up to write longer and better chapters.  
-HISTORICAL FACTS-  
America suffered many loses to the Japanese during the first six months of the Pacific War. The marines decided to train dogs to help troops spot hidden enemies. The dogs' sense of smell and sense of hearing was a great help to the American troops in jungle warfare. They used all sorts of breeds, but the most popular one was the Doberman. (I wanted Alfred to have a Lab because I like those better.) Most of the dogs were donated by civilians. The dogs that came from the pound were thought to be untrainable, but some actually turned out to be the best war dogs the marines had ever seen.  
More info in future chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

I am so sorry that I took so long to update. I just didn't know how I was going to put this chapter together so I messed around with it several times until I was satisfied with what I got. I was also busy sewing myself a mochi!Russia plushie. Sorry if it seems kind of dull, but it is important to the story.  
Also, thank you very much OrangeHue, CherriAme, and Sketch 'itch for your reviews. *Gives you mochi!Russia plushies*

* * *

Chapter 2  
Companionship

The moment the sergeant handed Alfred the black leash, Rocket was his partner in combat.

"There you go, Jones. He's all yours now." the sergeant had said to him with a small smile.

From that point on it was Alfred's responsibility to feed, groom, and walk Rocket. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about the dog food since the camp already had large storages of it.  
He and the other marines were told that they would begin training next week. Therefore, now was the time for the dogs and their handlers to start forming a bond with each other. After all, the first step of training a dog was to spend time with it and to get to know its personality.

Just as the sergeant had said, Rocket had already taken a liking to Alfred. He allowed the blond to pet him as much as he liked, and he'd nip at his hand playfully a couple of times. However, as friendly as Rocket was, he was also a bit of a trouble maker.

On the second day of the first week, Alfred didn't close the door to Rocket's kennel very well so the Lab got loose. He ran toward another marine and his large German shepherd, Killer. Rocket tried playing around with Killer by jumping around him and pawing at his face, but that only angered the bigger dog. Lucky for Rocket that Alfred had been right behind him when he ran off. The blond had to grab Rocket by the black collar around his neck and restrain him while Killer's handler, Nathan, had to hold the leash with both hands.

Nathan was a marine that Alfred had become acquainted with during the ride to the camp. He was a friendly, redheaded young man and he had a soft spot for big dogs like Killer.

They managed to pull their dogs away from each without any injuries.

"Sorry!" said Alfred as he pulled Rocket in the direction of the kennels.

"It's okay, man." said Nathan as he went in the other direction with Killer.

Despite that incident, Alfred wasn't mad at the dog. (It was _his_ fault for not closing the door right, anyway.) In fact, Rocket kind of reminded the blond about himself. They were both filled to the brim with energy, they seemed to irritate others without meaning too, and they seemed to have bottomless stomachs. (There was a time when Rocket snatched Alfred's bread out of his hand while he wasn't looking. And the blond had just fed him too!)

Sure enough, every time Alfred fed, groomed, and walked the dog he found himself getting more and more attached to him. Rocket also seemed to grow closer to Alfred. He gave him company until the end of the day when he was put back in his kennel.

Rocket also seemed to know whenever Alfred was feeling down. On the last evening of the week the two were sitting under a tree that was a small distance away from the main camp grounds. The lights of the buildings looked like fireflies from where they were sitting, and the white moonlight seemed brighter out here. Alfred was leaning his back against the tree trunk while Rocket rested his chin on his knee. The blond stroked his partner's head as thought about his fellow Allies. They were still out there somewhere, fighting against the Axis Powers. And what was he doing? Sitting here under a tree where the surroundings were calm and peaceful while they were probably taking cover in shell holes as the sound of gunfire and explosions were ringing in their ears.

It's not that Alfred hated being at the camp; he had made several new friends among the other marines, like Nathan, and he really enjoyed Rocket's company. He just felt as though he wasn't doing his part in the war as an Allied Power.

Rocket sensed the blonde's uneasiness and tried cheering him up by licking the hand that was petting him. His human partner looked down at him and a sad smile appeared on his lips. Rocket made whimpering noises, his ears were drooped down, and his usually happy brown eyes now had a sad gaze in them. Alfred continued to pet him.

"I'm okay, boy." he said. "I'm just thinking about my comrades right now."

He continued to pet Rocket as he talked.

"I kind of miss them, just like you miss Clara."

For all the dogs that had been donated by their owners, the handlers were given the owners' addresses so they could write to them and let them know how their dog was doing. Alfred hadn't written to Clara yet, but he did receive her family's address. It turns out that she lived on a small farm in the state of Montana.  
_  
'What a beautiful place to live in.'_ thought Alfred.

Yes, Montana was definitely one of the most beautiful places in his country. The state had tall purple mountains, wide open blue skies, lush green forests, flat yellow plains, and crystal clear rivers.

"My comrades are in Europe and Asia right now." Alfred said to Rocket as he lifted his gaze to the starry heavens above them. "They're fighting the Axis Powers… I was in the Pacific before I came here, and I was fighting against one of them."

Rocket didn't give any response, but he _did_ listen, and that was the only thing that Alfred wanted right now: someone to listen to him. He felt that he could tell Rocket anything, not only because he was a dog, but also because he knew Rocket wouldn't think bad thoughts of him. That was one of the most interesting things about a dog—it didn't matter whether you were good or bad, if you had a close bond with your dog it'll love you and forgive you no matter what.

Blue eyes returned their stare to the dog. "You and me, Rocket, we're going to put a stop to this hell. Every man and dog here is going to do that."

Rocket looked up at Alfred to show that he was paying attention to his words.

"Please don't let me down, and I promise I won't let you down, alright? Let's do our best tomorrow." finished Alfred.

As a response, Rocket perked up his ears and started wagging his tail. A small smile grazed Alfred's lips as he gently got Rocket off his knee so he could stand up. He gave the leash a light tug.

"Come on, boy. Let's go." he said.

They walked back to the kennels that were on the main campus. Alfred took the leash off after Rocket had walked back into his own kennel. This time he made sure that he closed the door right.

"Goodnight, Rocket. See you in the morning." he said before making his way toward the barracks.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next morning showed the beginning of the first week of training for the dogs. The air was filled with loud voices as the marines gave their dogs commands like "sit" and "stay." Before they could go into combat training, the dogs had to undergo obedience training. Most dogs that had been family pets already knew what obedience was. However, some had not been trained beforehand, but that didn't mean that they didn't learn fast once they went through the training. Lucky for Alfred that Rocket already knew the basic commands.

Once the dogs had learned the commands by ear they were then taught to recognize hand signals made by their handlers. After all, they can't go raising their voices on the warzone. That would cost them dearly. The fact that it was jungle warfare only made it more dangerous because of all the dense vegetation, where an enemy can take cover and wait for any weary American soldier to walk by. The last time Alfred was in the Pacific he had learned that when he and his soldiers couldn't see the enemy, the enemy could see_ them _from their hiding place. The hand signals would help the handlers so that they could give their dogs a command without having to raise their voice.

Rocket adapted quickly to the new silent commands, as did the rest of the dogs.

When they were all ready to begin field training, the sergeant told them that they should start to work on getting their dogs to stop barking. This seemed impossible to the handlers in fact, they actually thought it was a joke at first. How the hell were they going to get the dogs to stop doing one of their most natural instincts? Then again, if the dogs were to bark on the battlefield it could get everyone killed.

Now, whenever Rocket barked, Alfred would grab him around the muzzle and hold it closed.

"No! Quiet!" the blond would tell him sternly.

But as soon as he let go, Rocket barked again. His muzzle was immediately taken into Alfred's grip again.

"Shh! No!"

The entire process was repetition, repetition, repetition, and patience. After at least a dozen times Rocket was starting to get the message. He began to bark less frequently but if he did let out a single peep, Alfred would just grab his muzzle again and tell him "no," or "quiet." He kept it up until Rocket hardly made a sound. Of course he still barked, it was a part of his instincts, but only when he was angry or excited. It was the same for the other marines and their dogs. With the barking problem taken care of, the camp was a lot more quiet now (much to the relief of the human handlers).

In field training the dogs were trained on how to be a scout, sentry, messenger, and detector. They were also taught how to attack. They did use real people for that, but they would be dressed in protective clothing so that the dog's sharp teeth wouldn't puncture their skin.

Another thing that was done on the field were demolition exercises. That sort of training was done to get the dogs used to the sound of explosions and gunfire. They would actually use small TNT capsules for the explosions and there would be guns going off, but they wouldn't be shooting at the dogs.

Poor Rocket got so scared the first time he did it that he ran away from the field and hid behind Alfred, trembling and whimpering with his tail between his legs. The blond could only sigh and pat the dog's head.

However, the Lab grew used to the deafening sounds and was soon running through the open field as fast as his four legs could carry him while the TNT capsules went off behind him. As Alfred watched, he thought about the dog he had seen during the First World War.

He went to where the field ended so that Rocket ran into his arms as he finished his run. Alfred hugged the dog tightly and had a huge smile on his face.

"Good boy! Good boy! You did it!" he told his furry partner.

In return, Rocket licked the blonde's face over and over again. Alfred laughed and pushed his muzzle away from his face. "Hey, cut it out! You're going to get slobber all over my glasses!"

Sure enough, when Alfred took them off they were covered in dog slobber.

"Thanks a lot, Rocket!" as the blond said this it was hard for him not to start laughing again.

He attached the leash to Rocket's collar while still holding his glasses in his hand. Once the leash was secure he stood up and looked down at the dog, though he looked like a brown fuzzy blur.

"Do you think you can help me back to camp so I can find a sink and wash these off?" the nation asked while holding up his glasses.

Rocket just wagged his tail and panted before pulling Alfred in the direction of the camp. They actually made it back okay… or almost… When Rocket walked by a tree Alfred's face smacked right into it, leaving him with a sore nose.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The camp air was now filled with an exciting atmosphere, for it looked like Alfred and Rocket would finally be getting some action.

There were plans of invading the Pacific island, Guam, around July. Right now the island was being occupied by Kiku and his troops. Alfred and the other marines knew that they were ready to die for their country and for their emperor, so liberating Guam was going to be anything but easy.

They memorized a map of the island so that they could draw one from memory once they got there.

The dogs also felt the tension and excitement that hung heavily over the camp. While in their kennels they would walk around the small enclosure endlessly, as though they were pacing.

Alfred was more than ready to face Kiku again. His determination of defeating him had been reignited over the past months of training with Rocket and hanging out with the other marines. He would protect his new friends with his life and he knew that the other men, and Rocket, would do the same for him.

When the day finally came for them to begin their journey across the ocean, they came dressed in full uniform—helmet, boots, and all—and with their dogs leashed. The marines from the main base were there too. They boarded a war ship, with the knowledge that some of them may not come back and that they would be seeing red sand.

* * *

AUTHOR'S COMMENTS: A bit of a cliffhanger there. The rest of the chapters will be about what happens to Alfred and the others as they fight to liberate Guam. I tried to add a little humor to this chapter, so hopefully that went well. Again, I am so sorry that it took me so long to organize this chapter. Reviews are REALLY appreciated. Don't be shy, tell me what you think of this story.  
-HISTORICAL FACTS-  
Unbelievable, but true! The marines did get their dogs to stop barking so that they wouldn't risk the safety of the soldiers by barking while on the battelfield.  
The marines grew so close to their dogs that they told them anything that was on their minds, and in return, the dogs would listen to them.  
The Pacific island Guam had been captured by Japanese troops on December 11, 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. US forces landed on Guam's beaches in July 21, 1944, and remained there until August 8.  
The handlers actually did write to the dogs' owners so that they would know what their pet was doing.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm so sorry that this took long! But know that I'm not abandoning this story. It's just that I had some difficulty of putting this chapter together because it's a battle scene. This is my first time putting together an actual battle scene too, so I hope that I did well. Another reason it took me awhile to post this is because I went to a Hetalia after-con gathering (which was so much fun). Anyways, thanks again OrangeHue and Sketch 'itch for your reviews! I'm sorry that I kept you and all the other readers waiting. Read this chapter to your hearts' content!  
I think I should change the rating to rated M now.

* * *

Chapter 3  
The First Days in Hell

The war ship sailed across the Pacific Ocean for three days straight. Then, on the fourth day, the call to action was sounded off.

"All hands report to the deck! All hands report to the deck!"

All marines and war dogs that were destined for Guam rushed to the deck where the amphibious vehicles were being prepared. All the men were dressed in uniform and were equipped with a gun and some ammunition. Of course, Alfred was still wearing his bomber jacket; he'd never go into combat without it.

The dogs were quietly sitting beside their handlers. Some, however, shifted around nervously as the tension in the air grew heavier.

In the distance, Alfred could see Guam. It may have looked peaceful on the outside, but every man on the boat knew that its jungles had to be filled with Japanese soldiers.

Once the amphibious vehicles were in the water, they lowered the dogs into them first by using a type of harness. Their handlers joined them soon afterwards. When all the men and dogs had been loaded onto their vessels they finally sailed towards Guam.

Rocket was sitting right beside Alfred, with a calm look on his furry face. The blond petted his head a few times in hopes that it would settle his nerves somewhat. But even with the dog's company, Alfred felt a tingling sensation slowly spreading throughout his body. It was out of excitement and anxiety. He knew that the others were probably feeling the same way. He looked at everyone that was with him on the vessel.

The men's eyes were filled with mixed emotions: fear, excitement, uncertainty, nervousness, and determination. The dogs, on the other hand, seemed to be pretty calm, which must've helped their handlers to keep their emotions under control.

Alfred then looked at what was around their vessel. Besides more seawater, he saw hundreds of other American amphibious vehicles heading in the same direction as they were. Each vehicle was carrying more marines and more dogs to the island, which was getting bigger and bigger as they sailed closer toward its seemingly calm beach.

When the vessels finally stopped a few yards away from the beach, that was the men's signal to begin the operation of liberating Guam. All soldiers, and dogs, jumped into the water and started swimming towards the shore. As everyone knows, the ocean is very deep. Though the troops weren't too far from the island, they still couldn't stand in the water. It was hard for most of them to keep their heads above the water because of the heavy equipment they were carrying with their uniform.

Being a Labrador retriever, Rocket's webbed paws helped propel him through the water as he swam. Alfred struggled to keep up with him, and it didn't help that his glasses were getting soaked and that his mouth tasted like salt water.

Suddenly, everyone heard a sound like thunder. Alfred almost went completely under when a shell landed a few feet away from him in the water, sending a large spray high into the air. It was soon raining shells as more of them landed in the water. The Japanese troops were already giving them hell before they could even get to a point where they could stand in the water.

When they _did_ get to that point, some of the men grabbed their dogs (if they could) and waded through the water as fast as their legs would take them. Alfred didn't have to do that for Rocket since the dog was a natural-born swimmer. He still struggled to keep up with him since the dog had already swum ahead of him as soon as they jumped in.

Alfred saw one of the younger marines go under after slipping into a shell hole. He struggled to get his head back up with all the heavy equipment he had on him. Alfred grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and hoisted him back up. The lad could only gasp out his thanks as he caught his breath. Alfred just nodded and continued forward.

He noticed that some of the marines had already made it to shore and were firing back at the enemy, while taking cover in a shell hole, beneath a sand mound, or behind a tree. Some were digging their own foxholes to take cover in.

When Alfred finally made it to shore, Rocket ran to his side. They took cover behind a coconut tree. Alfred raised his rifle and started shooting at Japanese troops that were manning the machine guns. They jerked before falling to the sandy ground with a sickening thud.

As the rest of the American troops and their dogs made it to shore the gunfire grew deafeningly louder, and victory cries and yelps of pain filled the air.

As Alfred continued to shoot, Rocket just stayed low with a calm look on his face. Suddenly, the blond heard the sound of a shell dropping, and it sounded as though it was coming towards them. He sprinted away from the coconut tree and Rocket followed him immediately. Just when they were about to dive into a nearby shell hole, the coconut tree was destroyed as a shell landed on it. Sand flew several feet into the air, and the impact of the explosion sent both Alfred and Rocket flying through the air. Alfred landed on his back and his head jerked back painfully when he hit the sand. He laid there for awhile before he realized what had happened. He felt a burning pain on his chest. He placed his hand over the fabric that was there, which only made the pain worse. He immediately withdrew his hand.

He then remembered that Rocket had also been sent flying. He turned his head slightly to the side; just that one simple movement sent waves of pain through Alfred's body. He saw Rocket lying on his side, motionless. The blond bit his lip as he rolled himself onto his stomach and started crawling toward the dog. Every movement only brought him more pain, but he knew that if he didn't bear it then it would get him killed for sure. Shells narrowly missed him and the motionless dog, and they were too low to get caught in the gunfire. By the time Alfred reached Rocket he noticed that the dog's eyes were closed, but his chest was still rising and falling.

"Rocket?" It hurt to talk too.

The dog didn't open his eyes.

Alfred cupped the canine's face with one of his hands. "Rocket, come on buddy. Get up."

One of the hind legs twitched and the dog slowly opened its brown eyes.

"You okay?" Alfred asked.

Rocket responded by getting back up on all four legs without a problem. He was actually doing better than Alfred was right now. The explosion didn't do much damage to Rocket as it did to the blond.

Alfred motioned his hand toward a shell hole. "Hurry."

He really didn't want to have to talk right now.

Rocket and Alfred crawled toward the shell hole and took cover in it. Alfred had lost his gun when he went flying through the air, and his sensations were still overrun with pain, so he just laid there. He had to breathe lightly, for if he breathed in too deeply it would send new waves of pain through him. He closed his eyes and tried to drown out the sounds of the battlefield. Rocket could only lay there beside him and keep him company.

Alfred thought that the gunfire would stop by the end of the day, but it didn't, it continued on into the evening. Alfred had already put himself together by the time the sun was starting to set, and crawled out of the shell hole. He grabbed a nearby rifle that was half buried in the sand and took cover beneath a sand mound. Again, Rocket sat beside Alfred as he fired shots at the enemy.

Now that it was dark, the night sky was lit up by the gunfire; it looked as though it were ablaze. But even so, Alfred didn't know if an enemy soldier would sneak behind him and kill him at the spot. Lucky for him that he had Rocket to sniff them out. When the moon was at its highest in the sky, Rocket's calm expression was broken and he suddenly stiffened himself and perked up his ears. He bared his teeth and began to growl. Alfred stopped his firing only to see what his partner was so alert about.

"What is it boy?" he asked. It didn't hurt to talk anymore, but the pain in his chest was still there.

Rocket continued to growl while looking outwards in the direction of the ocean. Alfred looked in the same direction and saw nothing. However, he saw something glint in the pale moonlight just a few feet away from where he was; it looked like the barrel of a gun and it was aiming at him. Alfred shot at whoever was holding it without a second thought. He heard a shout and then a thump.  
_  
'Sniper."_ thought the blond.

He gave Rocket a quick pat on the head before returning to firing at the main enemy lines. If it hadn't been for Rocket, that Japanese sniper would've taken his life.

The gunfire never ceased. It continued on through the night, and when the sun rose the next morning. The men took turns firing at enemy lines while others rested their eyes for a moment. The redheaded lad, Nathan, had taken over Alfred's place. The blond was glad to see that his new comrade had made it to the beach and survived the first day.

Just as Rocket had done with Alfred, Killer sat beside Nathan with a calm appearance. Alfred was now lying in a foxhole that Nathan had dug himself during the first night. The lad told him that he could go ahead and use it, and for that, Alfred was very grateful. Even so, it was hard to try and rest his weary blue eyes when he knew that people were dying around him.

Meanwhile, Rocket was lying down next to him. It looked as though he were in a half-sleep trance. The dog's eyes were closed, but his ears remained perked up.

Suddenly, a loud cry of anger broke through the gunfire. Alfred's eyes flew open when the sound reached his ears. Rocket lifted his head and looked from side to side. The angry cry would ring through the air every few minutes. Alfred just hoped that it wasn't an enemy that was going berserk.

After laying the foxhole for at least twenty minutes, Alfred grabbed his gun again and rolled onto his stomach. The hole wasn't very deep, so the blond just crawled closer to the edge and aimed for the enemy lines.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

By the morning of the third day, the Japanese had retreated deeper into the jungle. Alfred and the others had managed to gain control over the beach. He and a few others placed an American flag into the sand and allowed the wind to blow against the red, white, and blue design. Though they had won, their victory had cost them many lives—both men and dogs were lost in the two-day battle. Also, everyone looked tired, including the dogs. Alfred had dark circles under his blue eyes and he just wanted to collapse on the sand and pass out on the spot, but there was still the task of burying the dead that had to be done. Bodies of Japanese and American soldiers dotted the beach, along with a few dead dogs as well.

They made a separate graveyard for the men and the dogs. It twisted Alfred's heart as he lowered the bodies of his soldiers into their graves; most of them were young too.

When they buried the dogs, the blond found out who it was that had yelled that angry cry during the second day. It was one of his young soldiers. A Japanese soldier had shot the lad's dog from a foxhole, killing it. The young marine lost all his self-control and killed that one soldier, along with the others that were in the same foxhole.

Before they laid the dog to rest, his human partner held him in his arms and against his chest as he sobbed. He handed the body to Alfred with trembling hands. The nation had a sad look on his face as he laid the body down on the sand. Rocket was watching him as he sat down by the edge of the hole. Alfred hoisted himself out of the grave and helped the others cover it up. They mounted a wooden white cross on the finished mound. Written on the cross was the dog's name: Prince. They also placed two small American flags on either side of the cross.

The men bowed their heads in respect and they had taken off their helmets. Even though it was a dog, it had died in the line of duty. This was all that they could do for it, and all the others that had shared the same fate.

Alfred was just thankful that Rocket had survived. He hoped that he wouldn't have to bury the dog by the time this was all over. He put a hand on the side of Rocket's head and held it against his leg. Alfred felt Rocket nuzzle closer into his leg as he petted him. Blue eyes looked up towards the heavens.

_'Please, God… Don't let him die.'_

Nathan was standing beside Alfred. His eyes widened when he looked at the blond. "Alfred, you're bleeding!"

"What?"

"Look at your shirt!"

Alfred did and saw a patch of blood on his chest area. That was why his chest had been aching all this time.

The other marines looked at his wound.

"You'd better go see the doctor, Jones." one of them said.

Alfred just nodded and walked away with Rocket, who was now on a leash. They went to the tent that had a red cross on it and entered. There were many other marines in there. The blood seeped through their bandages, turning the cloth from white to red.

"I can take a look at you." came a voice.

Alfred saw a soldier with a red cross on his helmet waving at him. The blond merely nodded and walked past the other wounded soldiers, who looked at him as he passed by.

Alfred sat down on a wooden chair and removed all the clothing that covered his chest. The wound was bigger than he thought. It looked as though his entire left chest plate had been cut up.

"Jesus Christ, boy. How did this happen?" the doctor asked.

"I think I got hit with some shrapnel when a shell landed near me, sir." answered Alfred.

The doctor put on some gloves. "Well, you better thank God that you're still alive. You're really lucky that you didn't bleed to death."

"Yeah..."

The doctor grabbed some sort of object that looked like tweezers. "Listen, son. I'm gonna have to remove that shrapnel from your wound, or it'll get infected."

Alfred nodded. They didn't have anything to soothe the pain, so it was gonna hurt.

When the doctor started poking around his wound, Alfred clenched his teeth and tightened his hold on Rocket's leash. Seeing that the blond was in pain, Rocket nipped at the doctor's hand when he pulled out the first peace of shrapnel from Alfred's wound. Rocket nipped at his hand again when he tried to retrieve the rest of the shrapnel. The doctor sighed.

"Control your dog, will you?" he said.

Alfred looked at Rocket. "Rocket, down boy."

The dog returned Alfred's gaze.

"Down." the blond repeated.

The doctor continued with his work and Rocket didn't interfere this time. Alfred couldn't blame Rocket for his behavior toward the doctor. He probably thought that the doctor was hurting him. It kind of cheered up the nation knowing that Rocket was willing to protect him.

He smiled through the pain at the dog, to reassure him that he was gonna be okay.

When the doctor pulled out the third, and last, piece of shrapnel he cleaned the wound with some salt water. It stung badly and Alfred hissed in pain.

"I know it stings, but the salt will help clean the wound." said the doctor as he grabbed a roll of bandages.

After wrapping up Alfred's chest, the doctor told him that he was free to go. He even put the shrapnel in a tiny glass case and gave it to the blond.

"Keep it as a trophy." he told Alfred.

The blond mumbled his thanks and put his shirt and jacket back on before walking out the tent with Rocket trailing behind him.

* * *

Yep, salt does help clean a wound (but it really stings). No history notes for this chapter. Maybe in the next one. Reviews pretty please, and thanks again for reading and for your support!


	4. Author's Note

Hey everyone, Solarina here. Anyways I'm just posting this author's note to let you know that because I'm back in school now, it'll take me a longer time to upload new chapters. (My school enjoys torturing me with homework.) But just know that this story is not on hiatus, it's just being completed slower than usual. So just check this story out every once in awhile. Believe me, I have no intention of not finishing this story. I just love the way I made Alfred and Rocket bond together, and I promise that it'll only get better and better. So just be patient, and thanks for hanging in there for me.

Maybe I'll do a 9/11 tribute real quick since the anniversary is tomorrow, but it'll probably be one chapter only. Again, thanks a lot for your support.


	5. Chapter 4

AN: I finally got chapter four up! I apologize for taking so long to get this up, but I'm on spring break now so I'll have more time to work on this. To make up for the time, I combined some of chapter five into chapter four.  
ALSO, I have a poll on my profile page in case some of you don't know yet. **The poll is: Would you like Rocket to be in my future APH fics?** Before you ask, no, it would not be historically inaccurate if Rocket stayed with Alfred. Some of the marines were actually able to keep the dogs after the war either because they were from the pound or they had permission from the previous owners. So, if yes, then Rocket will stay with Alfred after the war and will show up in my other APH fics (and Kiku will be afraid of him ;D). If no, then Rocket will not die, but he won't stay with Alfred either.

* * *

Chapter 4  
Deadly Confrontations

Alfred and a few others were gathered around the small camp fire, their dogs were there too, of course. The men wished that they could build a bigger, warmer fire, but if they did then the smoke would give away their position to the enemy. The men were chatting, or smoking cigarettes, or eating some of their rations. Alfred was doing the third. He took one of his sea rations, which was a sardine, and gave it to Rocket, who gobbled it up right away.

"Sorry, boy, but this is all we've got." said Alfred.

He shared a piece of his bread with the Lab before nibbling at his own piece and putting the rest of it away in his pocket for later. What he wouldn't give to have a nice, warm, juicy hamburger… With a hot patty of meat, green lettuce, red tomato, onions, all of it between two sesame seed buns… The blond shook his head to rid those thoughts from his mind; just thinking about it made him hungrier.

One of the younger soldiers from the blonde's group got up and was about to begin his turn of watching over the camp when an older marine said to him, "Say son, why'd you bring your dog with you?"

The lad glanced at his leashed Doberman and then at the older man. He said nothing in return and remained quiet as he walked toward the perimeter of the camp, with his Doberman walking beside him. Another older marine laughed and made sounds like a dog: "Woof! Woof!"

A few others laughed and joined in—those who didn't have dogs, that is. The ones who did remained silent. Alfred just shook his head. Maybe if they had seen the graveyard for all those dogs that died during the first few days they wouldn't be laughing at them and their canine partners.

It had been three days since the Americans' victory at the beach. They were moving further inland in pursuit of the Japanese, where they now found themselves camping in the jungle. So far, they have had no surprise shootings—which was a good thing. Another good thing was that Alfred's chest wound was healing itself quite nicely. It'd probably leave a scar behind, but that was better than dying of an infection. Ever since the doctor patched him up, Alfred had been kept at camp so he could take time to heal. Since it was looking better now they'd probably send him back out into combat tomorrow. Surprisingly, he was able to fall asleep easily tonight. Perhaps it was because he was so tired from the war, all these days of fighting and seeing people get killed. He wondered if the others—not just his fellow allies, but the Axis Powers as well—felt the same way. At the moment things didn't look that way, especially for the Japanese Axis Power. Kiku and his soldiers seemed as though they were willing to fight this war until the bitter end. However, Alfred and his men were ready to do the same.

* * *

"Honda-san."

Kiku averted his eyes from the canteen he had been sipping at to the Japanese soldier before him. "What is it?" he asked.

"Sir, the scouts have just returned. They're saying that the Americans are pursuing us." said the soldier.

Kiku lifted a dark eyebrow. "Really?"

"Hai." said the soldier.

Kiku stood up from the rock he had been sitting on and headed toward the cave that he and his soldiers were using for shelter.

"Sir, where are you going?" asked the soldier.

"I'm going to pay our prisoner a visit." answered Kiku, without looking back at the soldier.

The cave was empty of Japanese soldiers at the moment since all of them were outside either keeping watch or smoking, but their belongings laid strewn across the cave floor. Kiku walked deeper into the cave until he reached the very back of it, where a single lantern was keeping the place lit with a measly little light. Sitting by the lantern, was a young man whose hands were tied behind his back and his bare feet were also tied together. He had lovely tanned skin, brown eyes, and black hair that reached where his neck connected with his shoulders. The white shirt he was wearing was torn in some places and his green pants were caked with mud and faded. He glared up at Kiku.

"I heard. Alfred is here, isn't he? Isn't he?!" he said.

Kiku gave no response and kept looking down at the islander with emotionless brown eyes.

"Alfred's gonna kick your ass all the way back to your island!" yelled the boy.

Suddenly, Kiku was holding his katana near the boy's neck. It was done so quickly that the boy didn't see him unsheathe it. He did, however, feel the cool metal against his neck.

"I would hold my tongue if I were you, Sione-san." Kiku withdrew his katana and sheathed it, but Sione continued to glare up at him.

"Alfred failed to save you last time, so what will make this experience any different from the first?" said Kiku. (1)

"The first time he was badly injured thanks to you, but now he's back on his feet and he _will_ win this time!" said Sione.

Kiku smirked. "I'll let you hold onto your hopes. Farewell, Ō-miya Jima (2)." With that said, Kiku turned away and walked toward the cave opening to make his exit.

* * *

The camp of American soldiers awoke just as the sun rose above the horizon, driving away the chills of the night. Alfred spent his morning packing any necessary things into his knapsack since he would be going back into combat today. Rocket was just sitting down, watching him quietly. When Alfred was finished he looked at the Lab and let a small smile graze his lips. "Well, Rocket, looks like you and me are setting off again." he said.

The pooch responded by sitting up straight. Alfred put the straps of his knapsack over his shoulders and grabbed Rocket's leash off the ground.

"Remember my promise, boy?" Alfred asked as he attached the leash to Rocket's black collar, "I won't let you down, if you don't let me down. Okay?"

Rocket gave the blonde's hand a playful nip as a response. Alfred just smiled as he stood up and led him to the outisde of their camp, where a group of soldiers were waiting to venture out into the deeper part of the jungle. Alfred and Rocket joined the group and waited for someone to give the order to start walking. However, no one spoke at first, all lips were closed. The three dogs sensed the tension in the air, so they too remained silent. After at least two minutes of silence, they finally heard the command.

"All troops move out!"

The group started walking immediately. Alfred briefly glanced behind him to look at the camp one last time. With every step he took, the camp grew smaller. The blond then looked ahead of him and all he saw was the dense vegetation of the jungle...  
_  
'God, I hate this heat.'_ thought Alfred as he, Rocket, and his troops walked through the dense jungle.

They had been doing the same thing for at least three hours now, but with fruitless results. Besides getting really sweaty and receiving many mosquito bites, nothing was getting accomplished. This irritated Alfred because he wanted to rescue Sione as soon as possible so he could make it up to him for surrendering the first time. Suddenly, Alfred's group came to a stop. There was a wide open field before them with tall grass, a possible area for an enemy ambush to take place. The soldier that was leading the group turned to Alfred.

"Jones, you're up." he said.

Alfred nodded and walked to where the cover of the trees ended. He kneeled down beside Rocket so he could detach the leash.

"Go, boy." he said.

Rocket walked out into the field, sniffing and listening for the enemy. Alfred waited until Rocket got a little further away in the field before going out himself. The other American soldiers remained under the cover of the trees. Alfred used the hand commands that they had taught him back at the training camp to tell Rocket how far to go. He motioned for the canine to go all the way to the other side of the field where there were more trees. Rocket understood the silent command and went ahead of Alfred. The Lab sniffed the air and the ground, but there was not a hint of the enemy anywhere in the area. Seeing that no shots had been fired, Alfred motioned for Rocket to come back, which he did immediately. Alfred then turned to where the others were waiting and motioned for them to come over. The area was safe. By the time the other troops joined Alfred, the blond already had Rocket back on his leash.

"Good work, Jones." said one of the soldiers.

Suddenly, Rocket began to paw at his pant leg. The soldier just smiled and kneeled down to rub the dog's head. "You too, Rocket."

He got up and gave the command to continue walking. Alfred also smiled at Rocket and patted his head.

After getting back into the cover of the trees, they decided to stop and rest for a few minutes. Alfred removed the linen part of one of the helmets they had so that only the steel part remained. He took some of his rations and put them into the steel part of the helmet. He pushed the helmet toward Rocket, who practically licked the helmet clean. Alfred did not chuckle or smile at this. He wished he could give Rocket a decent amount of food, but that just wasn't possible at the moment. The American ships couldn't come any closer than the reef as long as the Japanese remained on the island, therefore, very little food could be transported to Guam. There were times when Alfred would get lucky and find a fruit tree or a coconut tree, but he hadn't been lucky for an hour now.

When all the soldiers had finished resting, they continued with their trek through the jungle. Alfred hoped that they would set camp near a spring, or in a cave with a spring. He didn't enjoy feeling the dried mud on his skin. Besides a hamburger, he really wanted to take a hot shower… Scratch that, he wanted a burger, a hot shower, _and _he wanted to go _home_. Everyone wanted to go home, they were just sick and tired of this war.

They came to an abandoned road that had been taken over by the jungle vegetation. Alfred looked around… Nope… no sign of the enemy, not even one of their tanks. The blond wondered why they hadn't been ambushed or attacked yet, but he knew that now was the time to be on high alert. No way was he dying here while the war was still taking place and the Empire of Japan continued its conquest of the Pacific.

By the time Alfred's own group was joined by another group of American soldiers and they had set up camp, the moon and the stars were up. Alfred and Rocket were sitting down by a small fire and were soon joined by Nathan and Killer, who had been with the group that recently joined Alfred's.

"Did you see anything?" Nathan asked Alfred.

"Yeah… Birds, trees, little animals..." began Alfred.

Nathan chuckled, "Wise ass."

Alfred smiled wryly. Rocket was using his knee as a pillow and the blond petted him repeatedly on the head, and occasionally he'd stop and scratch the Lab's neck or back. Killer was splayed out in front of Nathan, and one of his hind legs kicked lightly as his human partner rubbed his belly.

"So you saw nothing." said Nathan, returning to the previous subject.

"Nothing. Nada. Zilch." said Alfred.

"Well, it's better than getting ambushed. I mean, things could have been worse for us. We're very lucky." said Nathan.

"Yeah, lucky." agreed Alfred.

But how long would that luck last? Alfred pushed that thought out of his head, he just wanted to enjoy the peace of the moment. No gunshots, no cannons, no tanks, no explosions, no screams of agony or anger, just silence. Even when he went to sleep the night would remained quiet, not even the animals would make a sound. Alfred couldn't help but wonder why since he could usually hear the chirping of crickets when he retired for the day, but the only thing he could hear now was the cackling of the fire. Were the creatures of this island aware of the hostilities that were taking place? Did they sense the morbid aura that hung over the entire island? Alfred put his questions to rest when he remembered that it was his turn to keep watch over the camp. It was actually a pretty boring job, or at least Alfred thought so. All he had to do was sit outside camp and perhaps pace here and there while there were other people keeping watch at different parts of the camp. Still, it was better than taking cover from flying bullets so Alfred kept his complaints to himself (for once). He attached the leash to Rocket's collar and led him out of the camp. Silent as usual. To keep himself from getting tired he would pace back and forth with Rocket, or even go a little distance away from the camp.

After three hours he was getting tired of the silence so he broke it by humming some of his songs like _Star Spangled Banner_, _My Country 'Tis of Thee_, even _Yankee Doodle_. Rocket seemed to enjoy his humming because he had a relaxed look on his furry face. If they had been under better circumstances Rocket would have been howling for Alfred and the blond would be singing loudly instead of humming. When he walked a distance away from the camp for the thousandth time this night, he heard what sounded like vegetation being crumpled by a pair of feet. Alfred stopped his humming of _America the Beautiful _immediately and listened. Rocket was also listening, standing still with his ears perked up. Then, he caught a scent. He bared his teeth and growled lightly. No doubt about it now, the enemy was close by, but how many were there? A large group, a small group, or just one person? Alfred narrowed his eyes, trying to catch the glimpse of a rifle in the pale moonlight, but it was hard to see. Suddenly, he heard someone running towards him and he caught the glimpse of a katana just in time for him to block it with his rifle. Rocket was growling really loud now and he sounded very angry. After recovering from the sudden attack, Alfred found himself looking into the eyes of Honda Kiku. He'd recognize that white imperial uniform anywhere.

The Japanese man backed away from Alfred as he gripped his katana with both hands. "Hello, America-san."

"Hello, Japan." said Alfred.

"That's Empire of Japan." Kiku corrected.

"Not for long." Alfred said in a 'as-a-matter-of-fact' tone.

Kiku chuckled darkly. "Less talk, Alfred-san…" He came at Alfred and swung his katana downwards, but the blond blocked it again with his rifle. "And more action."

"Cut the crap." said Alfred. "Where's Sione?"

Kiku smirked. "He's alive, if that's what you're wondering about."

"That wasn't what I was asking. _Where_ is Sione?" Alfred repeated.

"Alfred, you always allow your mind to wander from the main point." said Kiku. He backed away again. "You should focus on what's happening right now." He charged again, but faster this time.

Alfred managed to block it, but he was taken by surprise from the strength Kiku put into that one. He didn't think that a small body like Kiku's possessed so much strength. Kiku knew this and smirked. He pushed Alfred all the way toward a shallow ditch and the two remained in a deadlock the whole way. Rocket took Kiku by surprise when he clamped down on one of his hands. Kiku let a gasp of pain escape from his mouth and he withdrew one hand from his katana. Alfred took the chance to jump into the ditch behind him. Rocket jumped in right after him. Alfred aimed his rifle at Kiku and pulled the trigger, but no bullet came out. He tried a second time, but it still didn't fire.

_'__**SHIT!**__ It's jammed!'_ he thought as he frantically tried to get it to work.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Kiku had recovered and was coming towards where he was at. He did not see the blond jump in the ditch, so Alfred had some seconds to spare. He quickly undid the leash from Rocket's collar.

"Listen to me, Rocket. Go get help! _Help_!" he hissed.

Like lightning, Rocket ran out of the ditch and headed toward the camp. Kiku saw him go, but he paid no attention. This time Alfred tried landing a blow on Kiku with his rifle as he climbed out of the ditch and swung it at him, but the brunette parried it, leaving Alfred vulnerable to an attack. Kiku swung his katana at Alfred and managed to give him a gash at his side. Alfred forced himself not to put his hand over the wound because Kiku soon came at him again. The blond clenched his teeth as the pain from the gash began to spread through his entire side.

"Honestly, Alfred, I never knew that you would be desperate enough to bring dogs with you onto the battlefield. I was hoping you would be more of a challenge." Kiku put more force into his sword, pushing him backwards.

It was dark, so Alfred did not see that he was walking toward a rock. He tripped over it and fell onto his back, but he continued to push back against Kiku's katana with his rifle. The pain at his side and the force of Kiku's katana kept him pinned down. The blade was slowly inching toward his neck as his strength began to wan away. Suddenly, Alfred and Kiku heard angry snarling and it grew louder with every second. With the thick darkness of the evening, neither of the two saw Rocket sprinting towards them, his dark coat blending in with the night. He jumped at Kiku's right arm and dug his sharp teeth into the flesh. Kiku yelled in pain as Rocket tore into his arm, each bite going deeper than the one before. His grip on the katana weakened immediately and Alfred took the chance to roll out of the way and get back on his feet. He heard the voices of his soldiers as they came rushing toward the scene. However, he also heard Kiku's soldiers as they ran out of their hiding places and to where they were at.

"Honda-san is in trouble!" one of the Japanese soldiers shouted.

Finally, Rocket released Kiku's arm and barked at him angrily.

"Rocket, come!" Alfred commanded. There was no point in being quiet now that both sides were about to clash. Rocket stopped barking at Kiku and ran to his partner's side.

Just as the two groups met, Alfred finally got his rifle to work again. He tried to find Kiku, but the smaller man was no longer in sight. Alfred did not try to go after him, because a group of three Japanese soldiers jumped out in front of him. By quick reflexes, Alfred fired at one of them before they could have the chance of shooting him, but just when he was about to do the same to the other two soldiers, they jerked and fell to the ground.

"Hey, you okay?" a familiar voice came from behind him.

Alfred turned around. "Yeah, but I've got a wound at my side."

Alfred did not need to see the American soldier's face because he knew it was Nathan. "We all got worried when we saw Rocket running back to our camp without you." said the young red-head.

"I was fighting one of the Japanese. He's gone now, though." said Alfred.

Nathan looked around when another gun shot rang through the air. "This isn't the best place to talk."

"Right." Alfred agreed.

They joined their comrades to help ward off the Japanese, but to everyone's surprise they retreated. As the others in Alfred's group asked each other why the Japanese were retreating so hastily, Alfred had a good guess.

* * *

As soon as Rocket had let go of his right arm, Kiku gripped it with his other hand which was still holding the hilt of the katana. He could feel his own warm blood soaking through his white uniform, but he couldn't feel the right arm itself. He decided to run back to his soldiers to receive medical care. They had quickly spotted him as he ran back to them while gripping his injured arm. To keep the Americans distracted, they sent a group of soldiers out to fight them while the rest got Kiku away from the battlefield and it had worked.

Now, Kiku was back at his camp. One of the medical officers was seeing him and he helped the wounded man to remove his white jacket so the arm could be examined more carefully. The sight of the wound surprised both Kiku and the medical officer. Most of the flesh looked like red shredded meat. When the medical officer examined it, it was confirmed that Kiku suffered deep puncture wounds and a fracture to both his radius and ulna bone. With limited medical supplies, the medical officer could only wrap Kiku's arm in clean bandages, put it in a cast, and hand him a few pain-killing pills.

"I'm sorry, Honda-san, but until we can get you to a hospital, your right arm is useless." said the medical officer.

Kiku said nothing in return as he looked at his injured arm and frowned. He had been humiliated in front of the enemy and his own soldiers by a dog. His good hand clenched into a fist. He abruptly stood from the crate he was sitting on and walked over to one of his generals, who saluted him.

"What do you require of me, Honda-san?" he asked.

"Tell everyone that if they see any dogs with the _Amerikajin_, they are to shoot them." said Kiku.

"Hai."

* * *

Alfred let a yawn escape from his mouth as he breathed in the tropical morning air of Guam. He stretched his arms and yawned a second time. Thanks to the encounter with the Japanese he didn't get much sleep last night. Rocket, however, seemed to be unaffected by the incident since he was jumping at a few butterflies that were fluttering around his head. Alfred smiled at the sight. It made it hard to believe that the playful canine was actually a trained war dog. The blond walked past Rocket, but the pooch stopped playing with the butterflies and followed him. They joined the other soldiers and war dogs at their camp. The encounter last night had reminded them all of what they were dealing with, and it was a sign that their peaceful silent nights were over. They had radioed the other American soldiers before going to sleep last night and they were told that more soldiers and firearms on the island would be joining them, so for now they had to stay at their current location until the reinforcements arrived.

If Alfred had been sent to Guam under better circumstances, then he would have enjoyed his stay here. Sure it was hot and humid thanks to the tropical winds, but the island had beautiful beaches and a shining ocean surrounding it; in short, a good place to have a vacation. But with the war going on, Alfred wouldn't be taking any vacations for a long time. A cold nose touching his cheek snapped him out of his daydreams. He petted Rocket on the head before standing up from the rock he had been sitting on and joining the other soldiers to greet the reinforcements.

The sun was at its highest in the sky by this time. They now had more soldiers, more weapons, more tanks, and more dogs to help fight against the Japanese. Alfred spent the majority of the day helping people set up more tents for their camp, checking what new food supplies and firearms the reinforcements had brought with them, and getting his troops reorganized. Surprisingly, he wasn't tired by supper time. It must have been the thought that they were getting closer to their goal of liberating Guam from the Japanese. Sione was alive, that was what Kiku had said last night, but Alfred didn't know _where_ he was at. However, he did know that Sione had to be at the same place where Kiku was at. If Alfred could find Kiku, then Sione wouldn't be too far away from him.

For once in his life, Alfred didn't feel hungry, so he just went into his tent and lied awake, with Rocket resting beside him. He let a soft sigh escape from his lips. He could feel the guilt coming back to him as he thought about Sione. If only he had been strong enough to save Sione, but he wasn't. He, the hero, made the choice to surrender to the enemy. But now wasn't the time to start feeling guilty about that past mistake, he needed to concentrate on what was happening now. Alfred knew that Rocket must've done some serious damage to Kiku's arm when he bit him, and now he could only use a single arm to wield his katana, but that didn't make him less of a threat. Even so, Alfred wasn't afraid of Kiku or his army, his fear and neutrality had already died at Pearl Harbor. The blond felt a sudden wave of drowsiness wash over him and his eyelids grew heavier, so he turned on his side and closed his blue eyes.

* * *

"GET UP! GET UP! THE JAPS ARE HERE!"

Alfred's eyes flew open at the sound of the voice. He darted out of his tent and saw one of the American soldiers running through the camp, yelling. Many other soldiers darted out of their tents with a rifle in their hands. Alfred quickly looked back in his tent to grab his own rifle and ran to where he could hear the movement of tanks. He didn't have to look behind him to know that Rocket was behind him. On the scene there were both American and Japanese tanks shooting at each other and he could hear men shouting orders at each other in both languages. Alfred ran behind a tent and fired at the enemy. He felt a bullet graze his right shoulder, but he wasn't fazed at all. Rocket was keeping watch for enemy snipers until he caught a familiar scent in the air. His ears went down and he walked away from Alfred to follow his nose. The blond didn't see him go as the chaos continued to escalate. Rocket avoided the bullets by crawling low on the ground. He headed towards the place where the cliffs were as the scent grew stronger with every step he took.

The area the Americans had been camping at was close to the cliffs, so the sound of the waves had helped lull the men to sleep the night before, but now they could barely be heard through the sound of the gunshots and tanks.

Rocket noticed a distant figure standing near the cliffs, but he didn't need a good view to know who it was; the scent was all he needed. Rocket bared his teeth and growled. Kiku didn't move at all, he only stared intently at the dog. Acting on instinct, Rocket charged at him and continued to bare his teeth. Using his good arm, Kiku pulled a handgun from his belt and aimed it at Rocket.

As Alfred was reloading his rifle, he heard yet another gunshot ring through the air and thought nothing of it. However, following the gunshot was the sound of a dog crying out. Alfred looked around for Rocket, but when he didn't see the Lab anywhere, he knew that the cry had belonged to his canine partner.

"Rocket!" Alfred sprinted to where he heard the cry come from.

* * *

AN: Cliffhanger! *shot* So, please vote on the poll so I can continue with my AmericaXJapan mpreg fics :3 And reviews would be nice too, please.  
-NOTES-  
(1) The Japanese first attacked Guam on December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor. The American forces on Guam were told about the attack on Pearl Harbor before the Japanese arrived, but they were short of men and firearms compared to the Japanese that were sent to Guam. On Decemeber 10, 1941 the Americans officially surrendered to the Japanese.  
(2) Ō-miya Jima was a name that the Japanese had planned to give to Guam.  
Sione is the OC Guam in my fic. Sione is a Pacific Islander name, I believe. Please let me know how I did on personifying Guam.


	6. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Well, here's another chapter that I FINALLY uploaded ;;; I apologize for being so slow at updating my stories, but I've made the decision to finish this story before posting any new ones. Also, the poll on my profile is still open and it probably won't be closed until this story is near the end. Anyways about Sione, I know that I just threw him into the story, but I intended from the beginning to put more detail about his character in another chapter. When I read over Chapter 4, I realized that I needed to make some changes for his character and his attitude towards Alfred. So in this chapter I kinda made him angsty and display some anger towards Alfred. Another thing is that not everything in this chapter is historically accurate, I based it on the reading I did for the Battle of Guam in 1941. **WARNING: This chapter has someone getting their head sliced off, so if you don't wish to read that simply skip that part. **Again I apologize for taking so long to update and for making the last chapter choppy ;;;

* * *

Chapter 5

1941

_Sione rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he made his way to the Governor's office, dressed in his militia uniform. There had better be a good reason for the Governor calling him out of bed at four o'clock in the morning. The young islander mumbled under his breath as he opened the door the office and stepped inside. "Alright, Mr. Governor, what's the meaning of-"_

_"Quiet, Sione, I'm on the phone with Alfred right now!" the Governor hissed, sending him a brief glance._

_Alfred? Sione lifted a black eyebrow. Alfred hardly visited his island and never called him, so Sione wasn't happy that he was losing sleep because of some random phone call from a man who didn't speak to him often._

_"What's that, Jones? You want to speak with Sione?... I see. Alright, here he is." the Governor practically thrust the phone in the young nation's face._

_Sione quickly took it and said in a grumpy tone, "What do you want, Alfred?"_

_"Sione, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor yesterday and now my country is planning to go to war." Alfred cut straight to the point.*_

_The islander boy felt his brown eyes widen. "What?"_

_"I'm serious about this, Sione. I saw it with my own eyes and the President is already making preparations to declare war on Japan." Alfred continued._

_"But I thought you wanted to be, you know, neutral." said Sione._

_"Plans change... And another thing you should know is that it looks like the Japanese are going to try and take over the whole Pacific."_

_"WHAT?" Sione yelled into the phone, causing the Governor to jump slightly._

_If this wasn't such serious business, Alfred would have told Sione that he could hear him just fine and that he nearly blew out his eardrums. But serious business is serious business._

_"I have nothing to defend myself, or my people, so how do you expect me to fight off a whole army if they come over here?" * Sione banged his closed fist against the office wall._

_"That's why I have some of my men over there right now and I just told Governor McMillin the situation at Pearl Harbor. It's not just you that's in danger, Sione. Everyone in the Pacific could be a potential target for the Japanese." said Alfred.*_

_"Why can't you just come over here yourself?" Sione questioned._

_He heard a sigh. "Because... I'm in the hospital right now and the doctors aren't letting me go until my wounds close up more."_

_"You're... what?" said Sione, failing to keep the surprise out of his voice. Sure Alfred was cocky about his so called "heroic status," but he was still a strong man. The damage at Pearl Harbor had to be worse than he thought if it landed Alfred in the hospital._

_"I said 'I'm in the hospital,'" Alfred repeated, "I took a bullet to the hip and it went through all the way. I have a couple of deep cuts too and the doctors aren't letting me go, even though I told them_ _that I felt strong enough to stand up." Sione heard him sigh on the other end. "Believe me, if I could be over there I would, but you're just gonna have to pull through this one on your own, Sione."_

_The teenage boy kept silent as the hand that was holding the phone began to tremble. This was not happening... This was not happening..._

_"Let me speak to the Governor again." said Alfred._

_Sione mechanically handed the phone to the Governor again. As soon as the phone was out of his hand he leaned against the wall he had just banged his fist on. He didn't want to believe any of this. Should the Japanese decide to attack his island home, then he would not be able to stop them. In all honesty he feared more about what would become of his people than of himself. Like every nation, his people were his everything, his children. He didn't want to see those children of his be cut down by a katana of cold steel._

_Although he knew that it wasn't_ _entirely Alfred's fault that he was being kept in the hospital, he couldn't help but direct some of his anger towards the American for leaving him alone in this time of war._

_Suddenly he felt the Governor shaking his shoulder. "Sione, pull yourself together! We've got to be on high alert!" he told him._

_Sione pulled himself away from the wall and nodded dumbly._

_It was four hours later, past eight o'clock in the morning, when the Japanese planes made their appearances. Sione would never forget seeing those painted red suns on the aircrafts as they flew over his homeland, or the noises they made as they raided the skies and attacked possibly all the buildings where the American soldiers were. A dull roaring filled the air as a Japanese plane was shot down. Then, the ship that was responsible was sunk. During this time, Sione could only watch as the Americans fought the Japanese planes from the ground and sea since he had no weapons and no professional combat training experience. Being a nation, he could feel his people's terror as they watched Japanese planes fly over their homeland, and heard the sound of gunfire and explosions ring through the air. But there was little he could do now since he was currently engaged in a meeting with the Governor, his military officers, and his civilian leaders. Although none of them wanted to admit it, they knew that fighting off the Japanese was out of the question. They had more men, more weapons, more supplies._

_The Governor sighed. "I am finished as far as this war is concerned but we will defeat the Japanese. The Americans will come." He looked at everyone in the room. "My advice to you all, is let the Americans fight the Japanese."*_

_Sione felt his heart sink as he hears those words. He felt so embarrassed and powerless as the Governor's words repeated themselves in his head. But even he knew that there was no other option but to rely on Alfred through this war. He was a small island. Alfred had a land full of all sorts of resources and thousands of people to make his weapons for him and his soldiers. Sione abruptly stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and stormed out of the room, slamming the door closed._

_The enemy planes did not stop their attacks until the sky began to change colors. They flew away from Guam and headed back to Saipan. __Sione knew better than to think that that was the end of his ordeal. They would return the next day and continue their air raids, so he decided to bask in the silence while he could. There was no gunfire, no yelling, no explosions, just silence. It was as though the entire island itself was holding its breath, afraid that even the slightest noise would bring the Japanese back. But just as Sione predicted, they returned the very next day at 8:30 in the morning. They continued their attack on the island, attacking the same places they had attacked the previous day, as well as terrifying more villages. Sione could hear the sound of his people's s yelling and screaming, and he could hear their feet pound the ground as they fled from their villages to look for shelter from the enemy's planes.* He wanted to go out and help them, but the Governor refused to let him go outside and whenever he tried to sneak out he would be dragged back inside by one of the American marines that was guarding the area that surrounded the Government House._

_Then, the next day, very early in the morning while the moon was still up, the enemy finally set foot on the island. They were bearing katanas, guns, and they waved a flag of the rising sun. As soon as they set foot on the sands of Dungcas Beach, Sione felt their presence. The island's military defenders were sent out to confront the enemy, but some of them were sent without arms since they had more men than weapons*. Most of the men were deployed around their area, the Plaza de España, so they could protect the Governor and the embodiment of their homeland. But Sione didn't want to be protected, he wanted to stand with them. He pushed past the Governor when he tried to block the door and ignored him and when he called out his name. Sione stood beside those who were unarmed. Some of them told him that he had no idea what he was getting himself into and that he was out of his mind. Maybe they were right. What would a young nation like himself know about war? Though Sione was still young and knew little about the concept of war, he knew that he could at least go out with a fight. Sure, the Governor had said that this was America's war, but at this moment it was Guam's war._

_The Japanese forces made their appearances to them just as the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon*. A single gunshot rang through the air and was soon followed by many more. Those who had no weapons charged at the enemy. Some were shot down as they took their first steps, but others managed to land their fists land on their enemy. Sione felt bullets graze his body and face, but the adrenalin made him forget about the pain and fueled him onward. He managed to land a couple of kicks and punches before two Japanese soldiers pinned him down and held his hands behind his back._

_The sound of a horn broke through the gunfire and all firing ceased. Sione was taken to the other side of the plaza where the Japanese were standing as the two soldiers retreated back to the rest of their group. A Japanese officer was standing in front of the rest of the soldiers and he shouted across the plaza, "Your captain! You come out! Surrender!"* It was said with a thick Japanese accent attached to it._

_A few minutes later, the Governor stepped out from the building he had been in and approached them. Sione's brown eyes followed him as he got closer and closer with each step. __The Governor put his hands up to show he had no weapon on him. "Alright," he said to the officer, "I came out just as you asked. Now let the boy go." He gestured his head at Sione._

_But the two Japanese soldiers kept their hands on Sione's shoulders and the officer turned his back on the Governor. "Both of you, come with me." he said to them._

_He had the Governor and Sione march through the San Antonio district while he and a few other Japanese soldiers walked behind them. The officer made contact with the Japanese landing force to let it be known that they had the Governor and Sione within their custody. About half an hour later they all returned to the plaza, only this time they had the Japanese commander with them, along with the embodiment of their own nation, Kiku Honda. All the Japanese soldiers present at the plaza saluted both the commander and Kiku as they walked past them._

_They had anyone else that was hiding in the Government House come out with their hands on their head as Japanese soldiers followed behind them with machine guns in their hands. They made everyone, including the Governor and Sione, line up. One soldier came up to Kiku and gave him some sort of large sheet. Kiku unfolded the sheet and Sione was surprised to see that it was an American flag. The soldier who gave Kiku the flag also helped him spread it on the ground, right in front of their captives. Once the flag was spread out, at least three more soldiers stepped forward while Kiku stepped back. The four soldiers took out the flashlights they had with them and shined the lights on the American flag. Sione had no idea what they were trying to do, but he was guessing that they were signaling to the planes flying overhead that Guam had surrendered. That moment was also the moment where Sione's world shattered._

_Once all the Japanese soldiers on Guam knew of the surrender, the Governor and a few others were put into a prison while Sione was forced to march with Kiku and his soldiers wherever they went and witness the horror they committed as they took control over his island. They would force him to watch as they separated his people's families, ripping crying children away from their mothers and forcing wives apart from their husbands. Their cries and screams rang loudly against Sione's eardrums. It was unbearable, he wished that he could cover his ears, but his hands were tied behind his back. It was worse when they held his eyes open with their fingers so he could watch them execute his people. The first person that was killed right before Sione was a young teenage boy who had tried to run away into the jungle, but was later caught by the Japanese and brought back to face his punishment. One soldier held Sione's eyes open so that he couldn't turn away his head or close his eyes while another unsheathed his katana. They had their victim blindfolded, on his knees, and they had his hands tied behind his back. Without a second thought, the soldier sliced the boy's head off and the body slumped to the ground. Blood quickly pooled around the body, by the soldier's feet, and by Sione's own bare feet. Sione wanted to scream, but instead he felt a great wave of nausea overcome him, so vomit came out of his mouth instead. His vomit contained fluids and stomach acid since the Japanese only fed him enough food to keep him alive. Sione coughed since some bile was still stuck in his throat. When he opened his eyes and looked at the ground he saw his own vomit mixed with the teenage boy's blood. The sight made a second wave of nausea wash over Sione, and he threw up again. After vomiting twice, Sione's legs became jelly and he fell to his knees on the vomit and blood-covered ground. He violently hacked up the stomach acid that was burning at his throat. He was soon forced to his feet as the Japanese soldiers roughly pulled him up by his arms and pushed him towards the cave they were taking refuge in.*_

_It was nothing but pure hell now and Sione knew he was going mad as the war dragged on. When he was alone he often yelled to God why He was letting this happen to him and his people. He would mentally curse Alfred for doing very little effort to prevent the Japanese from taking his country. Did he really expect a small number of marines to fight off a whole army of Japanese soldiers along with their planes and bombs? Sione also held contempt for the Governor; he had surrendered so easily and he didn't even try to fight back. But most of all, Sione absolutely despised Kiku Honda. The stone-faced man would visit the island a couple of times if he wasn't doing anything else with the other Axis members, or taking care of matters back in his home country, or fighting against Alfred somewhere in the Pacific. Every time he visited, he would see Sione and stare down at him with those soul-less brown eyes. The boy would send a fiery glare in return. How he wished he could just break the binds at his hands so he could lunge at Kiku and gouge those soul-less eyes out with his own bear hands._

_The screams and cries of his people tortured him every day and in his sleep too. He felt the same pain they felt, and the same sorrow. He began to wish for the angel of death to come and take his soul away...  
_

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x  
_

"Wake up! Now!" the voice of a Japanese soldier brought Sione back to the present. The boy opened his eyes and blinked a few times wearily.

The soldier pulled him to his feet by his arms and pushed him out towards the cave's entrance. The bright morning sunlight hurt Sione's eyes since he had spent a whole week within that cave now. He blinked his eyes a couple more times so they could adjust to the light. The soldier hurriedly pushed him forward as they headed deeper into the Guamanian jungle, more inland. Judging by the quick pace the soldier was pushing him with, Sione knew that Alfred and the other Americans were getting closer. Although Sione had held a grudge against Alfred back in 1941, he knew that he didn't have anyone else to look to for help. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Alfred was his only hope of getting the Japanese out of his island.

* * *

Author's Note: Like I said, not everything in this chapter is completely accurate. Sorry this wasn't about Alfred or Rocket, but I had to get Sione's story in too. Next chapter will continue where Alfred and Rocket were last left. I hope that this chapter isn't as choppy as the lost one ;A;

**History Notes*  
*** The first Battle of Guam took place on December 8, 1941, the day after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The US Congress did not pass a formal declaration of war against Japan until December 8, 1941, and an hour after President Roosevelt's "Infamy Speech," which was delivered at 12:30 p.m.

*The Guam Militia was mostly a ceremonial marching unit and a majority of them were unarmed and unpaid.

*During this time the US had 547 men at Guam, but the Japanese sent 5,900 men during the Battle of Guam, along with aircrafts, cruisers, etc. from Saipan. On December 8, around 8:27 a.m., Japanese planes dropped the first bombs over Guam. Some of the men fighting for Guam were unarmed since there were more men than weapons. The minesweeper USS _Penguin_ managed to shoot down a Japanese plane, but was scuttled soon after. The Japanese returned to Saipan at 17:00 hours. They returned on December 9th and continued their bombings on the island. Most of the people who lived in Guam took shelter in a church with their families as Japanese planes flew over their village. On December 10th, a special Japanese naval force landed on the island and headed for the Plaza de España. They confronted the marines and the two sides exchanged fire.

*Governor McMillin was one of the ones in charge of Guam at the time. During a meeting with military leaders and civilian leaders he said that he was finished as far as the war was concerned and that they should let the Americans handle the Japanese. He officially surrendered to the Japanese on December 10, 1941.

*One Guamanian that was present at the time of Guam's surrender recalls how the Japanese spread an American flag on the ground in front of them and shined their flashlights on it. He didn't exactly know what they were doing, but he guessed that it was a signal to the Japanese planes that were still flying over the island. It was a sign to let them know that Guam had surrendered.

*During the Japanese occupation of Guam, the people were subjected to forced labor, family separation, imprisonment, execution, and forced prostitution. It is said that approximately one thousand people died during the occupation.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Hero

Alfred was panting by the time he reached the clearing by the cliffs. His eyes darted in all directions, searching for any sign of Rocket, but he couldn't find him. Not even a trace of black fur.

"Rocket!" Alfred called.

The only answer he got back was the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffside. Then, a thought came to him. What if someone pushed Rocket off the cliffs and into the waves below, where he'd be crushed against the rocks? ... No. Rocket would never be pushed around that easily, he was a fighter. Alfred put two fingers between his lips and whistled, hoping that the Lab would hear him and come out of his hiding place, but there was still no sign of the dog.

"Rocket! Come on, buddy, it's me!" shouted Alfred. He walked around the open area and looked to the ground for anything that stood out from the rocky surface. It didn't even take thirty seconds before he found something: a thin trail of blood. Alfred lifted his gaze to where the trail led to, and that was back into the jungle. Sure, he had found a clue that could help him find Rocket, but he didn't know whether the blood belonged to the dog or to someone else. For all he knew this could be a trap set up by the Japanese to lower his guard. So, just to be safe, he pulled out his handgun from its holster and followed the trail into the jungle.

Once again he found himself surrounded by Guam's thick jungle vegetation. When he looked behind him ten minutes later, he couldn't even see the cliffside anymore.

"Ow!" He had bumped his head against a tree branch. He rubbed the side of his head and bent down to get past the branch. "Damn jungle." he murmured to himself.

Over his complaining, Alfred heard panting. He stopped rubbing his head and began looking through the nearby plants. The panting sounded close and he remained cautious in case it was the enemy or some wild animal. He was still grasping his handgun as he pushed aside huge green leaves and thick curling vines. He soon came to a gigantic tree that had several vines coiled around it. Alfred used his free hand to reach into his pocket and fish out his dagger. He noticed that the panting was getting quieter as he cut the vines with his dagger. He tore the annoying green plant from the tree and found that it had a large knothole. When he peeked into the knothole a sigh of relief escaped from his mouth.

"Rocket?" said Alfred gently.

The black Lab was laying on his side and the blond could see that his chest was heaving, as though it was hard for him to breathe. Hearing Alfred's voice, Rocket slowly lifted his head and stared back at his human partner. Although he was wearing the same happy face with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, Alfred could tell that the dog was in pain. He stretched his hand out to Rocket, who sniffed at his hand with a cold, black nose before licking it with a warm pink tongue. The blond stroked his head gingerly.

"Thank God, you're alive, boy. You had me real worried for a sec...ond..." Alfred trailed off when he saw a bullet wound on Rocket's side. Red blood was slowly oozing out from the wound, making the black fur damp.

Alfred didn't think, he just acted on instinct. He took off his backpack and took out a roll of bandages. Even though his hands were trembling, he was able to wrap the bandages around Rocket's wound. He knew that as long as the bullet remained in Rocket's body there was still the possibility of death from infection, but all that mattered to Alfred right now was stopping the blood flow. There was nothing else that Alfred could do at this point anyway, so he'd have to wait until he got Rocket examined by a medic. He put his handgun back into its holster, scooped the Lab into his arms, and began to make his way through the jungle. He couldn't remember which direction he had come from, but he kept going anyway. It wouldn't help Rocket if he just stood in one place.

"Hang in there, Rocket. Just hang on!" he kept saying to the dog as he trudged on.

Rocket was still conscious, but it looked like he was struggling to do so. Every once and awhile he'd nuzzle against Alfred's chest for comfort and it was easy to tell he was scared because of the way his ears were positioned. Still, no matter how long Alfred kept walking, he couldn't find his way back to the cliffside. As he spent more time looking for a way back to camp, Rocket's energy was ebbing away.

"Shit." he murmured to himself. This was starting to get frustrating. Not only was he lost, he was also extrememly hot. The jungle's humidity was unbearable and it made Alfred sweat buckets, but he couldn't stop to rest; not with Rocket in his current condition.

"Don't worry, boy. We're getting closer. It's gonna be okay." Alfred said to the Lab, trying to keep him awake, but even Rocket could sense the uncertainty that was hanging around his partner.

Alfred kept walking until the sun went down, but he and Rocket were still lost in the jungle. He had no choice but to stop for the night since it would be dangerous to travel in the dark. The Japanese could be anywhere, waiting to shoot him down. He made a fire to prevent the jungle's darkness from swallowing him and Rocket up. The dog was still in pain from the gunshot wound, but he seemed to be perking up a bit. The blood had stopped and that gave Alfred some relief. The two were sitting on the ground, with Rocket's chin resting on Alfred's knee. The blond stroked the dog's head.

"When we get out of here, boy, I'll have a medic take a look at you. That way he can take that bullet out." he said to the dog.

Alfred took another look at the bandages. "Who shot you, anyway?" He asked Rocket as though the dog would answer back, but of course the Lab would not. He was a dog and could not speak the language of man.

Alfred looked upwards and through a few spaces between the leaves and branches of the trees where he could make out the bright stars. He continued to pet Rocket. "I guess it doesn't matter now, huh? You're alive and that's all that matters."

Rocket licked Alfred's other hand, which was resting on the other knee. Alfred looked down at him and smiled. He looked upwards again.

"You know, Rocket, I used to camp out all the time when I was little." Rocket listened quietly as Alfred continued. "Me and Matt would often huddle together in some meadow and we'd gaze at the stars. They were so bright and beautiful, and they still are. I guess it's been so long since then, that I almost forgot." He chuckles and looks back down at Rocket. "What about you, boy? Growing up on a farm in Montanna, I bet you've seen the stars too."

The dog just looked up at Alfred for a moment, before resting his head on his partner's knee and closing his brown eyes. Alfred leaned back against a tree trunk and sighed. "I guess I'll keep watch," he said to himself.

For a long time, Alfred just sat there. Back against the tree trunk, head turned upwards so he could look at the bright stars, Rocket's head resting on his knee. The presence of the American and Japanese soldiers had made the creatures of the night go quiet, so the jungle itself had become as quiet as a ghost town. Not even the crickets made a single sound. All that Alfred could hear was the sound of the fire cackling and his own breathing, as well as Rocket's. Time passed, Alfred could feel his eyes growing heavy and he fought to stay awake. After that rude awakening this morning, not to mention all those minutes he spent carrying Rocket through the jungle, his body was tired and begging for rest. For the next hour, Alfred was only half-conscious. He could still hear the cackling of the fire and still feel Rocket's fur, but his vision was blurry. He stayed like that for a couple more minutes before finally succumbing to sleep.

In his dream, the war was over. Alfred was standing amidst a crowd in New York. People were cheering, confetti flew through the air, and husbands were kissing their wives and children as they reunited with them. He could see hundreds of people waving their small flags around. A smile spread across his face. This was what he wanted all along. He wanted to see his troops return home safely to their families and friends. However, over the noise of the crowd, Alfred could hear growling and squealing. It started weak, but it soon gained volume and Alfred could no longer hear the crowd. His blue eyes flew open. The fire was dying but he could barely make out two figures in front of him. He gasped when he realized what they were. Rocket was up and trying to fend off a large wild pig. It was black, had large tusks, and was much bigger than Rocket. Despite his injuries, the dog was barking and snarling at the pig as he tried nipping at it while at the same time avoiding its tusks. The wild pig just squealed at Rocket as it tried to bite back. Alfred jumped to his feet and yanked his handgun out from its holster. He aimed it in the direction of the wild pig, but he didn't shoot. The way the two animals were moving, Alfred could accidently hit Rocket, who already had one bullet in him.

"Get away from it, boy!" Alfred yelled, still aiming his handgun at them.

But Rocket couldn't get away from the pig as it continued to bite at him. The two were locked in battle. Suddenly, Alfred pointed his gun to the sky and fired once in an attempt to scare the pig away, but it continued to pester the Lab. Then, somehow Rocket saw an opening and lunged at the pig, sinking his sharp teeth into the pig's sensitive ear. The pig let out an ear-shattering squel and went into a frenzy. It tried bucking the dog off, but Rocket clamped down even tighter. In a rage, the pig rammed Rocket into a tree trunk. The Lab's grip weakened and he was finally bucked off. He hit the ground like a rag doll and the pig wasted no time in slamming its tusks against Rocket's body.

"Hey!" Alfred fired a shot at the pig. It hit it in the side.

However, one little bullet from a handgun wasn't enough to kill the monster-sized pig. It backed away from Rocket and turned its attention to Alfred. Seconds later, it charged without any fear towards the blond. Alfred aimed for its face and pulled the trigger again, hitting the pig right between the eyes. The wild animal slowed down and took a couple of steps forward before hitting the ground.

Alfred went near it and shot it again to make sure it was dead. Rocket got back up weakly and limped towards his partner. Alfred knelt down and ruffled the dog's ears.

"You saved me." he said to the dog in a gentle voice. They had probably been in the wild animal's territory and then it returned while Alfred was sleeping. He smiled at the dog. "You're a hero, buddy." He craned his neck so he could see the damage that the pig's tusks had dealt. Rocket's bandages were stained with blood and Alfred was pretty sure there were some nasty bruises beneath that black fur.

He stood up and broke off some tree branches nearby so the fire could become the brilliant flame it had once been. The wood cackled as it was slowly engulfed by the growing flames. Now that there was more light, Alfred took another roll of bandages from his backpack and began to undo the bloodstained ones that Rocket had on. He wrapped around the bullet wound and the new wounds that the dog had received from the pig's tusks. Rocket didn't complain, but Alfred was pretty sure that he was feeling some pain as the fresh, clean, dry bandages were being wrapped around him. Alfred whispered an apology. He tossed the old, bloody bandages into the fire and took his seat by the tree trunk again. Rocket limped over to him and laid down on his good side next to Alfred.

"Don't worry, boy. I won't fall asleep this time, promise." He said to the Lab. After that whole scenario, the shock had awakened him.

The dog just looked up at him with brown eyes before slowly closing them and falling into a well-deserved sleep. Alfred stroked his head as he lifted his own to gaze at the sky. It was still dark and he had lost track of time, but he guessed that the sun would rise soon. His guess was correct. Within an hour the sun revealed its first light of the day, changing the dark sky into an orange tint. The fire had completely died out about half an hour before the sun came up. Alfred looked back down at Rocket, who was still asleep. He watched his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. The new bandages had a red tint to them thanks to the fight with the pig, but even so, Rocket looked peaceful as he slept. Alfred smiled. Just as most humans look peaceful when they sleep, dogs can be too. He then moved his eyes to where the pig's body was lying. The flies still hadn't gotten to the corpse yet. It just lied there, not moving. The pig's corpse made Alfred think back to when he and his troops first arrived on Guam, all those bodies, both Americans and Japanese, strewn across the land after they managed to take the coast. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about it, but instead of seeing blackness he saw the USS Arizona going down in flames. Burning. Smoke rising into the air…

Alfred's blue eyes flew open. He thought he had heard something, but when he looked at his surroundings there was no one but him and Rocket, plus the dead pig. However, Rocket's eyes also opened and his ears perked up a little. The two just stayed silent, listening. Alfred couldn't tell if it was another wild animal, a Japanese soldier, or his own men. He stood up, pulled out his handgun, and stepped carefully so the foliage under his feet wouldn't make so much noise. Rocket followed suite, despite his injuries. As the two kept walking, they began to hear voices. Whoever it was, they were speaking English, but Alfred knew better than to just rush up to them. He knew they spoke English, that's all. He still didn't know who it was.

He blinked once and afterwards the barrel of a gun was right in front of his face.

"Wait! Wait! Don't shoot! It's Alfred!" said a familiar voice.

Alfred looked past the gun being pointed at him and realized that it really was his men. One of them was Nathan. The gun before his face was lowered and the blond did the same with his own handgun.

"Thank God you're alive!" Nathan exclaimed, "You and Rocket just disappeared during that fight with the Japs, we thought they might have kidnapped you or something."

Alfred shook his head. "None of the sort happened. By the way, is the camp close to here?"

The young soldier who had pointed the gun at Alfred nodded. "Yeah, it's like twenty minutes away from this spot."

"Good," Alfred glanced down at the Lab, "Could one of you take Rocket back to camp while I get my things? He needs medical attention."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's been shot and the bullet is still in his body. Also, he got into a fight with a wild animal last night."

"I can take him, sir." said the other soldier.

Rocket looked up at Alfred, hesitant to go with the other man. Alfred nodded his head at him and made a gesture to the soldier. "Go on, Rocket. I'll be with you soon, okay?"

The dog's ears drooped, but he went with the other soldier anyway. He didn't look back at Alfred either.

"Hey, I'll go with you to get your stuff, that way you won't get lost again." said Nathan, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

Alfred smiled a little since he was tired from staying up nearly all night. "Thanks."

The two returned to the spot where the fire had burned and where the pig's massive body still laid.

"Jesus Christ! Is that thing for real?" Nathan exclaimed and jerked back when his eyes landed on the body.

"It's the real deal, alright." Alfred nodded his head.

Nathan inched closer to the pig very carefully, as though it might come back to life and bite his nose off. "Damn. I grew up on a pig farm and I know they can grow big, but I didn't think they could be that big."

"Yeah, well. That thing wasn't a farm animal, it was wild. Almost got me when I was sleeping, but Rocket wouldn't let that happen." said Alfred, his back facing the redhead as he closed his backpack. He sounded uninterested, which was exactly what he was right now. The animal was dead and that was it, plus he was just too tired to feel triumphant now. They still had a whole Japanese army to take care of.

After getting the pack's straps around his shoulders, Alfred put a hand on Nathan's shoulder and told him it was time to go. The redhead kept looking back to get a few last glances at the pig as they headed for camp.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Alfred was welcomed back into camp with some smiles, pats on the back, and offerings of cigarettes (which he kindly refused). He went straight to the tent with a red cross on it to check on Rocket's condition.

"Perfect timing," was what the medic greeted him with, "I'm just about to take the bullet out."

"How is he, though?" Alfred asked as he sat on a crate beside Rocket.

The dog was lying on a wooden table, but when he saw Alfred he wagged his tail a little and pawed at the bomber jacket. Alfred stroked his head in return.

"He'll live," the medic answered, "the bullet didn't hit any vital organs, but the marks from the wild animal did scratch him up pretty badly. He just needs to rest for a couple of weeks and then he can go back into action."

"And you said that you were going to remove the bullet now?"

"That's right. Also, it would help if you could hold him for me. You're his trainer, so he should be less startled if you do it."

Alfred nodded and stood up from the crate so he could stand over Rocket. He put one hand on the dog's neck and the other on his hip.

"Alright, you be a good dog. I'm going to try and make this quick." said the medic.

The bullet had hit Rocket in the side, but just as the doctor said, it didn't get far enough to hit any vital organs. Rocket jerked when he felt the tool probe his wound, but Alfred firmly held him down. He bent down and whispered comforting words into the dog's ear, which seemed to help keep him from struggling more. Sure enough, after fifteen minutes, the bullet was successfully removed and the medic proceeded to put some salt into the wound to prevent infection. Poor Rocket cried in pain when he did that. The wounds from the pig's tusks were dabbed at with salt water before the medic finally began to wrap the bandages around them.

"Can he walk?" asked Alfred.

"He should be able to." the medic answered.

As soon as the medic had finished with the bandages, Rocket got off the table and walked over to Alfred, putting his front paws on him. The Nation just smiled down at Rocket and led the way out of the tent. However, as soon as they were outside, the medic called out to Alfred. When he turned around to face the other, he was given a tiny bottle. In the bottle was the bullet that had hit Rocket.

"Now you both have something to keep as trophies." said the medic.

Oh, yeah. Alfred had nearly forgotten about the shrapnel that had been removed from his own body. The vial containing the shrapnel was being kept in his backpack. He took the jar from the medic without a word and headed back to where the others were. He set up his tent and went inside to spread out his sleeping bag. However, just as he lied down on the bedding, he heard some of the younger soldiers calling him. He opened his eyes and let out an irritated sigh. Rocket also cracked open one brown eye before reluctantly getting up on all four of his legs. The two exited the tent and Alfred was surprised to see the wild pig's corpse right in the middle of the group of soldiers.

"What the hell…" Alfred walked over to the group. "How'd that thing get here?"

"Me and a couple of others brought it back here, Alfred!" Nathan piped up, "I told them your story, and we figured that you should take a picture with it. It's not everyday you kill a giant pig, y'know!"

Alfred shook his head. "Come on guys. Look at me. I have dark circles under my eyes and I need rest." He pointed at the dark marks that were lying below his blue eyes as he spoke.

"Aw, come on, Jones! Just one picture! For memories!" one of the other young soldiers whined.

Alfred looked at all the young faces surrounding him before looking towards the sky and sighing in defeat. "Okay, fine. Just one, though."

They had Alfred kneel on one knee by the large corpse. Rocket was positioned at Alfred's left, sitting straight and tall. Alfred's left hand was wrapped around Rocket, while his right hand held the handgun he had killed with the pig with. One of the soldiers took the picture with a large camera before giving Alfred and Rocket a thumbs up, signaling that they could rest now. As he rose to his feet, Alfred felt his knees crack. Rocket slowly trailed behind him as they walked back to their tent, leaving the others to gawk at the pig's body.

* * *

A/N: Critique is appreciated. I'll definitely take the advice seriously. Is it getting too choppy, or am I not putting enough excitement? Or do you want longer chapters? Good news is that Man's Best Friend is halfway over and once it is finished, I'll be able to move onto my other stories again!

**Notes**

- There are wild pigs in Guam. They were first brought to the island by the Spanish in the early 1600s. An adult male can weigh up to 300 pounds. Both males and females have large tusks used for fighting and feeding. Wild pig season is year-round on Guam and the legal bag limit is two per day and 40 per season. Don't let their looks deceive you, any decent sized pig can do a lot of damage, or even kill a human easily (whether they're wild or not).

- The Japanese did target the dogs as the Battle of Guam progressed. However, many were able to return to battle after taking some time to heal.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Silence

"Come on, boy! Come on!" Alfred said to Rocket as they played a game of tug-o-war with an old shirt.

Rocket was pulling with all his strength, but Alfred was having no trouble with keeping his feet rooted to the ground thanks to his gifted strength. Just to make sure Rocket wouldn't overdo it and hurt himself, the blond would let him win a couple of times. Suddenly, Alfred felt the shirt slip out of his fingers and all he saw was the back of Rocket as the dog took off. The blond laughed and gave chase. Their shadows joined the chase even as the sun began to go down, making the sky change colors. The air remained humid, but the two were so caught up in their game that they didn't notice.

Three weeks had passed since the bullet was removed from Rocket's body. When the medic removed the bandages six days ago, the gunshot wound had closed up and the gashes from the pig's tusks were also fading. During those long, three weeks of resting, Rocket would remain at camp while Alfred went out to scout the land with his troops. The Lab hated being left behind with nothing to do, he just had to have something to keep him entertained. There were times where he managed to steal himself some food from the crates; he quickly learned which ones were the easiest to open and which ones had meat inside. (Although, he was content with nabbing a vegetable for himself.) Every time Alfred returned, Rocket would go back to playing the whole innocent act and the blond would just smile and give him a belly rub. Now, he was fully recovered and ready to go back into battle.

As glad as Alfred was, he was also worried. During the time Rocket took to heal, other dogs fighting alongside the Americans were also shot at. Most of them pulled through, but there were always a few unlucky ones who were unable to pull through. The battle of Guam was not solely between the humans (and nations) any longer, it now included the dogs. Alfred remembered seeing a Doberman take a bullet right in the eye just about a week ago. The dog's trainer then crawled over to the body before cradling it in his arms and sobbing into the fur. However, by some miracle, the Doberman lifted its head and licked at his partner's face. They had rushed the dog back to camp immediately and it was given a patch over its now-blinded eye. That same night, Alfred had a nightmare about the same thing happening to Rocket, except the Lab didn't make it. Just as they were about to bury Rocket in the dream, Alfred woke with a start only to find his dog peacefully sleeping beside him.

"Give me that!" Alfred laughed as he tried tugging the shirt out of Rocket's strong jaws. Of course, the dog wouldn't let go.

"You're not going to win!" Alfred continued to pull at the shirt, but little did he know that the stitches were beginning to come apart. After two more minutes, the shirt couldn't take much more abuse and ripped in two with a loud tearing noise.

"Whoa!" Alfred fell backwards and landed on his arse, one half of the torn shirt in his hands. Rocket fell onto his side, holding the other half in his jaws.

The two just stared at each other for a moment, in complete silence. Alfred had wide eyes and Rocket didn't wag his tail. It stayed like that for another ten seconds before Alfred burst out laughing and Rocket let go of the shirt so he could bark. The blond wiped a tear from his eye and got off the ground. He walked over to Rocket and stroked his head.

"I think that's enough for today." said Alfred. "Come on, let's head back. Tomorrow's your first day back in action, you're gonna need your rest."

Rocket jumped back onto his feet and trotted behind Alfred happily, tail wagging and tongue hanging out all the way back to the tents. They were greeted by the younger soldiers and some of the other dogs, including the Doberman that had taken a bullet to the eye. The patch had been removed and the dog didn't look deformed at all; in fact, it almost looked as though the dog was winking and it was still as energetic as ever.

They all sat in a circle around one of the many fires burning within the camp, sharing cigarettes (although Alfred would decline) and telling stories. At some point, the conversation took a serious turn. The men began to question when they would be able to leave Guam, or if they would at all. Not just their time on Guam, but the war itself. How much longer would the war last? Those who were hopeful said another year or two, but others said it would last five to ten more years.

"What do you think, Jones?" one of the soldiers in the circle asked him.

All heads were turned in Alfred's direction and the dogs went silent as they sensed the anxiety that was surrounding their human partners. Alfred noticed the way they were all looking at him. Each youth was silently asking if they would make it out alive by the time the war ended and if they would ever see their loved ones again. However, Alfred had no solid answer for the question they wanted so badly to be taken care of.

He sighed and said, "You guys got me there. Truth is, I don't have a clue when the war will end. It'll go on as long as the Axis Powers continue to fight and who knows how long it will be before they finally surrender."

It was times like these where Alfred acted, not as the happy, carefree Alfred F. Jones, but as the embodiment of the United States of America. To his civilians and soldiers alike, he was the column from which they drew their courage. He had to be strong for their sakes. It was the same for any other Nation, including the Axis. Alfred had known the man called Kiku Honda. Kiku, though inexperienced with the outside world, had a good-heart. He was a pleasant man to talk with and could use a katana so beautifully. However, the man he was fighting with now was not Kiku Honda. It was the embodiment of the Japanese Empire and he needed to stop this conquest of the Pacific, because only God knew if they would take over Hawaii and attack California, or any of the other West Coast states.

"I've gotta be honest with you all, from the looks of things so far, it doesn't look like Germany or Japan plan on giving up anytime soon." Alfred continued.

He noticed some of the soldier's looks down in despair. "But neither will we. We've been through worse before, but we've always managed to come out on top. Sure, the Japs have been lucky so far, but we're pushing them back now. Just keep your chins up and we'll get through this together."

Still, no one spoke. Everyone continued to sit by the fire without exchanging any words. Whether Alfred's words had encouraged them or not, only they knew themselves. Alfred sighed, rose to his feet, and stretched his arms.

"Well, I'm going to sleep. G'night." He said, turning around and leaving for his tent. Rocket stopped lying on the dirt and got up to follow Alfred.

Nothing else was said that night. Alfred fell into a sleep so deep that he didn't dream. About an hour after Alfred had gone to his tent, the other soldiers put out the fire and returned to their own tents. The only words exchanged were a couple of goodnights.

x-x-x-x-x-x

The next morning was quiet. There was no gunfire, or ringing battle cries, just silence. However, back at the camp where Alfred and his men were, the soldiers had regained their good spirits and were talking amongst one another as they had before. After sleeping so deeply, Alfred was also reenergized. Even Rocket was playing around with some of the other dogs by pawing at their faces. If Rocket were a human, he'd be a very lively man. The kind who always wanted to party and never go to sleep. Alfred chuckled to himself at that thought.

A couple of the soldiers shared their rations and smoked cigarettes to pass the time. They wanted the days to go by as fast as possible so they wouldn't have to stay on Guam any longer. When it was time to move more inland, some of the men were still smoking, but they kept their guns close to them in case the Japanese decided to open fire on them. But to their surprise, nothing came at them. There was no sound of twigs breaking under boots, no one was yelling "banzai!", only an eerie calm that made Alfred and the others more anxious rather than more relaxed. Rocket, on the other hand, seemed to be disappointed that there was nothing big happening on his first day back on the battlefield. He whined quietly and kept rubbing his nose against Alfred's pants leg. The blonde could only pet the Lab's head in return.

Night fell and still no sign of the Japanese. Even so, the men knew they couldn't let their anxieties get in the way of their duties and they set up camp at the new location. It was a good location for them. They were on a hill and having a good view was a useful thing to have when engaged in warfare. If the Japanese were to come at them by climbing up the hill, the Americans would be able to see them in advance. However, just because they had an advantage, didn't mean they should let their guards down. Their guns were laid on their laps as they sat by the fire and machine gun mounts were positioned where the hill began to dip so they would have range of the land below.

Once again, Alfred and Rocket had the task of keeping watch over night, but it wasn't just the two of them this time. Nathan and his German shepherd Killer would be joining them. The four walked around the perimeter of the camp site. Nathan and Alfred had their guns at the ready while Rocket playfully pawed at Killer, though the German shepherd seemed to be peeved by the Lab's actions. Killer growled and bared his teeth, but Rocket seemed to be oblivious to the other dog's annoyance.

"It's been quiet all day." said Nathan.

"Yeah." said Alfred.

"I wonder what the Japs are up to..."

"Who knows? Maybe they're toying with our nerves?"

"Maybe, and if they are, then it's working on me. I've been feeling jittery all day."

Alfred chuckled and gave Nathan a playful punch to the shoulder. "Come on now, you're a soldier. Toughen up."

Nathan also chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I know."

The two turned around and continued with their pacing. Both men were looking straight ahead as their two dogs followed closely behind.

"Hey, Al, do you-"

_BANG!_

A single gunshot rang out and Nathan fell backwards, hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes. Alfred's first reaction was to duck and the two dogs also hit the ground.

"Nathan, how bad is your..." Alfred lost his voice when he saw the single hole in the boy's forehead. Blood was already beginning to ooze out of the gunshot wound and dribble down his forehead before coming to his nose and then trailing to the side. Nathan's eyes were wide open and had no light in them. Both his arms were outstretched and one hand was tightly grasping the gun he had been holding just a few seconds ago. He was dead.

From that point, Alfred's body began to act on its own. He could see his men rushing out of the camp. Some ran to the machine gun mounts while others shot in the direction of the trees, the place where the bullet that had killed Nathan came from. Despite all this, Alfred didn't pick up his gun and join in the shooting. Without a single tear, or word, he took hold of Nathan's body and crawled out of the firing range. Rocket and Killer didn't need to be told a command to follow Alfred, they both crawled on their bellies behind Alfred. The blond placed Nathan's body right in front of the campsite and he looked at Rocket.

"Stay." was all he said. There was no emotion in his voice either.

He picked up his gun and ran back to his men to join the fight. Rocket did as he was told and stayed with Nathan and Killer. He didn't look back at the other two, he just sat down and stared in the direction Alfred had gone.

x-x-x-x-x-x

The Americans showed the Japanese the fury of their machine guns by tearing down the soldiers that attempted to climb up the hill. Even though the Japanese knew they were at a disadvantage, more of them kept trying to climb up.

Gunshots and voices echoed in the night and broke the silence that had taken over Guam since last morning. The Japanese kept coming and the Americans kept firing. Some of the dogs were able to wrestle a couple of Japanese soldiers from their hiding places in the cover of the jungle and the Americans were sure to get a good grip on them before they could have a chance to kill themselves.

However, just before dawn approached, the Japanese made a hasty retreat and disappeared into the depths of the jungle yet again.

Alfred returned to where he had left Nathan's body and the sight that welcomed him was heart-wrenching. Killer was whimpering and pawing at the body. He sniffed at Nathan's hand and licked it a couple of times before doing the same to his face. The German shepherd's ears were down. Rocket was still sitting in the exact same spot he had been in when Alfred had left. He rose and walked over to Alfred, but he did not give him his usual cheery welcome. Instead, Rocket turned his head to look at Killer. A few minutes passed and Alfred's men were returning to camp. They all stopped in their tracks at the sight of Nathan's body and Killer.

No matter how many times Killer tried to wake Nathan up, he gave no response. He kept lying there silently, just as a dead person should. Alfred and the other soldiers exchanged looks before the blond took a step towards Nathan's body. Killer whipped around and snarled at him. The dog stood before Nathan's body in that stance, baring his teeth at Alfred, protecting his partner even though he was already gone.

Another soldier intervened by quickly taking hold of Killer's muzzle and holding it down shut so the dog couldn't bite. The dog struggled like a madman, but the soldier had a good and strong grip on him. Alfred then walked over to the body and, with the help of another young soldier, lifted it off the ground.

He still said nothing as they carried Nathan's body into the camp.

* * *

AN: No history notes this time~


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ BEFORE THE CHAPTER!** While looking up more info on the Battle of Guam in 1944, it said that at Mount Barrigada, after intense fighting with the Americans from August 2 to August 4, the Japanese line collapsed and the rest of the fighting became a pursuit to the north. Unfortunately, I could not find enough info on the encounter at Mount Barrigada to write a decent chapter on it, so... I'm afraid that the ending will seem rushed. But I must say, this was a very interesting write for me and I'm so happy that I decided to write this fic! My most favorite thing about writing this story had to be forming the bond between Alfred and Rocket. BUT...

This story is not over yet. I'm happy to say that I have the remaining chapters all written out, so this fic will be done by the end of this week! That means I can finally get back to writing other fics! In other good news, I already have a few chapters of the sequel to _The Empty Cradle_ finished! Annnd, to make it up to my readers, I'll be putting in an omake for _Man's Best Friend_!

* * *

Chapter 8  
Mourning

That same day, they buried Nathan near the camp. The whole squad, including Alfred, stood around the freshly covered grave. Alfred, still holding the shovel in his hands, took a moment to look at all the young faces that were staring at the grave. He saw some of them wiping at their eyes, but not a single tear fell from his own. For awhile, they all just stood there, dogs and humans, in silence, until one of the soldiers was dragged to the front by Killer. The German Shepherd was on a leash, ears drooping and tail limp.

The others could only stare as Killer lied down on Nathan's grave, resting his chin atop his front paws. The young man tugged on the leash, trying to encourage the dog to get up, but Killer wouldn't budge. He remained where he was until the soldier came to pick him up from the ground. Unlike the first time, the canine made no resistance. Alfred stared at the two before following suite and in turn, Rocket trailed after him. One by one, the crowd surrounding Nathaniel Rockefeller's grave dispersed until there was no one left at all, except a cold body lying some feet below the earth.

x-x-x-x-x-x

It was cold, dirty, and it reeked of decay and human waste. Alfred's uniform was caked in mud. The others were all crowded together in the trench, just as muddy and cold as Alfred. It had rained the day before, soaking them all to the bone, and they were still wet this new evening.

Tensions were high, for there was word that the Germans would be firing shells on them tonight. Alfred took out a pack of cigarettes from his bag and took one of the smokes out. He borrowed a lighter from the soldier next to him and just as he took the first drag, the shells began to come down. The evening sky was lit up by the explosions, their trench rattled and shook, but it did not collapse. Despite the noise and the rattling of the trench, Alfred kept smoking. He observed his comrades. Some were covering their ears, others said prayers, and a few were just smoking like he was doing now.

A sudden commotion came from one end of the trench. When Alfred looked in that direction, he could see that one of the younger soldiers was losing his cool. Two of his comrades tried to keep him down, but he broke free and frantically climbed out of the trench. As soon as he ran out to No Man's Land, a shell landed on him, blowing him to pieces. One of his arms landed in the trench and right in front of Alfred. Almost immediately, the blond felt a wave of nausea wash over him, but just as he felt the bile rushing up his throat, someone shook him.

"Jones, come on, man! Snap out of it!"

Alfred blinked once and he found himself back at Guam, sitting near the camp fire with Rocket and his fellow marines.

"You had a terrified look on your face. What were you thinking about?" the soldier who shook him asked.

All eyes, including Rocket's, focused on him, as though he was some animal on display in the zoo. Alfred wiped the sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his bomber jacket and shook his head, his blue eyes downcast.

"I-I need to be alone." he said.

Before anyone could object, he was already walking away from the group, taking Rocket with him.

"Is he crazy?" one of the soldiers leaned forward on the crate he was sitting on and whispered to the others, "A Jap could easily kill him if he's all by himself."

The others leaned forward as well, whispering.

"Maybe he lost his mind after watching Nathan die."

"Well, no shit. Anyone would lose part of their sanity if they saw someone get killed right in front of them."

"You don't know yet, do you?" an older marine who was passing by suddenly spoke to the others in an audible voice. He held his cigarette between his lips as he spoke. "That guy…" his eyes looked in the direction where Alfred and Rocket had gone, "He can take care of himself just fine. No Jap will ever turn him in."

"Just who is Jones anyway? He's so mysterious sometimes." That single sentence seemed to speak for all the other young marines in the camp.

The elder's lips formed a smirk around the cigarette, eyes still looking in the same direction, "You'll find out someday."

As for Alfred F. Jones himself, he did not wander far. He took a seat behind one of the machine gun barriers, so enemy eyes would not be able to see him as easily. Rocket settled down next to him as he took a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket. This was one of those rare times where Alfred smoked. Only when he was depressed, or to help make the pain go away, if for a moment, did he do it. He used his teeth to grab and pull one cigarette from the pack. Once he lit it, he put it to his lips and took a long drag from it. When he took the cigarette from his mouth and held it between his fingers, he saw that his hand was trembling. He laughed nervously in an attempt to bring his mood up, but his hand continued to tremble. Alfred stopped laughing, grit his teeth, and tightened his hold on the cigarette until his strength broke it in half.

"Ah, fuck!" Alfred threw it into the dirt and crushed it with the sole of his boot.

He swiftly removed his glasses to cover his face with both gloved hands. All the tears and emotions he had been hiding since he and his men first landed in Guam were let loose at last. He shook his head against his hands, trying to keep his voice down, but a few sobs managed to get past his lips.

Rocket rubbed his muzzle against Alfred's hands and licked at them once before standing on his hind legs so he could tousle the other's gold locks with his nose. The Nation sniffled once and slowly lowered his hands. His eyes, cheeks, and nose were all red from the crying, and his sinuses were stuck up. He rubbed at his eyes before placing his glasses back onto his nose. Without saying anything, he shifted the way he was sitting so he could face Rocket directly and, still keeping silent, he wrapped his arms around the dog, holding him close.

"Thanks, boy." Alfred finally spoke. He pulled himself away from Rocket so blue and brown could look into one another completely. "You know, sometimes I feel as though you're the only comfort I have on this island."

He petted Rocket's head and the dog leaned into his touch.

"Thank God I have you with me Rocket." Alfred said softly.

The two stayed like that for a bit longer, Alfred looking up towards the evening sky with Rocket's furry head resting on his knee. Once again, the wildlife was quiet tonight, all of it having either moved to different parts of the island or having fled the location all together to escape the fighting. All that could be heard was Alfred and Rocket's breathing and an hour later, their footsteps as they headed back to camp.

* * *

AN: That whole flashback Alfred is having is from when he was fighting in the trenches during the First World War.

Also, with the story coming to a close soon, I can announce the results of the poll. The question was: Would you like Rocket to be in my future APH fics? More people voted 'yes'!


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
Guam Secure

"Sir! The Lieutenant General has committed suicide!"

Alfred has just come out of his tent with Rocket when one of the young marines came jogging towards them, breaking the news. The news did not really surprise Alfred, though. These kinds of things were bound to happen and he had been fighting the Japanese long enough to know this. The blond folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Well… that's one less mouth we have to feed. I'll let the other officers know right away. You are dismissed!" said Alfred.

"Yes, sir!" the young man saluted before carrying on with his tasks.

For a moment, Alfred just stayed glued to the spot, watching his men as they kept walking from here to there, some of them chatting excitedly, for good reason too. Today was August 11. Just yesterday, on Auagust 10, they had declared Guam to be secure and that organized Japanese resistance had ended. Then, on August 9, they found Sione hidden in one of the pillboxes set up by the Japanese. He had been so skinny, to the point where there was hardly any meat on his bones, and very dark circles beneath his eyes. He had been desperately clinging to consciousness. He was rushed to the medics while Alfred, Rocket, and the rest of the marines scouted the area. It was not a pretty sight and it was burned into their minds forever.

Body parts all over the place, most of them victims to the heavy artillery fire from the Americans. What disgusted Alfred the most, though, was that in the trees hung pieces of what used to be Japanese soldiers. They were not limbs, but chunks and pieces of flesh. He had felt the bile rushing up to his mouth once more, but he forced it back down.

Yet despite having gotten the upper hand in this battle, they all knew that their job was far from over. Organized resistance was over, but that didn't mean _all_resistance was over. There had to be some stragglers still hiding on the island somewhere, they just needed to find them. For now, however, Alfred had other things on his mind, like going to check on Sione.

He and Rocket made a beeline for the makeshift hospital, which was only a large tent, and entered. Among his own injured men was Sione, lying on a mat with a tarp put over him like a blanket. The Guamanian sent him a weak smile. "Hey, took you long enough." he said softly.

Alfred kneeled down beside him. "How are you feeling?"

Sione put on a thoughtful expression before smirking. "Like shit… But I'm alive."

That did not earn a return chuckle from Alfred, only a concerned look followed by silence. Still, at least Sione's attitude was showing that he was on the way to recovery. Rocket sniffed curiously at his face before giving him a lick. A bandaged hand came to pet the dog's head.

"Thank you for saving me, boy. You and your fellow marines." Sione nodded toward Alfred once at that last part.

Alfred returned the nod.

"Where is Honda?" the other asked, still petting Rocket.

There was a long moment of silence before Alfred said hesitantly, "We don't know, haven't found him yet. He may still be on the island, but I doubt it."

Now it was Sione's turn to go very quiet. He ceased petting Rocket and looked up at the tarp ceiling.

Alfred leaned forward. "We'll make sure that he doesn't hurt you or your people again, I give you my word," he said seriously, eyes locked on the other's face.

The Guamanian remained silent and before the blond could throw anything else into the conversation, someone called for him.

"Jones!"

He sighed and stood up. "I'll come back as soon as they let me go," he said to Sione, who still said nothing in return, not even when he was left to himself again.

"You called, Colonel?" Alfred asked, walking towards the officer.

"Yes, there's a letter for you… Here." the Colonel handed him a white envelope.

"Right... Anything else you need, sir?" the blond asked.

"No, you're dismissed."

Alfred saluted and began to head back to the hospital, but just as he was at the entrance, he realized it was from Rocket's owner, Clara Johnson. Rather then going into the hospital, he took a seat on one of the crates at the side, ripped open the envelope, and unfolded the sheet of paper within it. He noticed that there were stains on the paper, as though drops of water had fallen on it.

_Dear Mr. Alfred,_

_I hope you, Rocket, and all the others are safe. I kept praying every single night for your safety._

_I also have some sad news… This will most likely be my last letter to you and Rocket._

Alfred's eyebrows arched.

_I know I've never told you this before, but I have liver cancer. When the doctors found out, they said I'd probably have a year to live at the most. At first, I was worried about Rocket, I didn't want to leave him alone. My parents have to keep the farm running, so they won't be able to play with him as much as I did. Besides, they'd probably be too sad anyway. We're not rich and with me gone, buying him food and getting his shots would be difficult for them. But then my daddy told me about the program that the marines were doing with the dogs. I thought about it for some time, but in the end I decided that I wanted to have Rocket signed up._

_I'll admit that I was scared he wouldn't find a good friend, but once I read your letters I knew that he did and that you'd take good care of him. Now I know he won't have to be alone after I've gone to heaven, he'll have you there with him. I can't thank you enough, Mr. Alfred, not just for taking care of him, but for everything else you've done for our country. I wish we could meet_ _in person, but I think by the time you get back from Guam, I'll already be in heaven watching over you and Rocket._

_You know... my mommy helped me write this letter. She cried a little bit, so that's why there's stains on the paper, but she's thankful for what you've done too, and so is Daddy._

_Well, I guess this is goodbye, Mr. Alfred. I just wanna say, that even though we've never met, I've come to love you as a good friend. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I might as well say it now! When I saw those pictures of you and Rocket that you sent me, I thought you were a very handsome man, like a prince or a knight._

_Anyways, I'm going to go ahead and stop my letter here before I say more embarrassing things. Take good care of Rocket, Mr. Alfred._

_-With so much love to both of you,  
Clara Johnson._

Alfred's eyes were glazed over with unshed tears and the hand that was holding Clara's letter went limp and drooped at his side uselessly. Rocket looked up at him, tilting his head to the side. Alfred returned the look, wondering if the dog had known about Clara's shortened life somehow, or if he had sensed it. Alfred swallowed hard and put a gloved hand atop the Lab's head. He looked into Rocket's chocolate brown eyes with his own blue ones.

"Well, Rocket, I," his voice cracked on the 'I', "I guess you and me are going to stick like glue longer than we thought."

Those were the words that came from his mouth, but his eyes said much more. He continued to speak with Rocket through their eye contact, with the Lab's eyes never moving away. They just stared at each other for several moments until Alfred finally broke the connection and looked heavenward. The sky was as blue as his eyes, cloudless, and the sun was glaring down on them as always, bringing in the jungle heat.

"You're welcome." he whispered, still looking up. Shortly muttering those words, he felt a small breeze blow through his hair.

Another young marine came out from the hospital and noticed him and Rocket. He approached Alfred, placing a hand on his shoulder. The Nation jumped slightly as his mind snapped back down to earth and looked back at his soldier.

"You alright, Jones?" he was asked.

Alfred nodded. "Oh, yeah, yeah… What's happening anyway?" He was suddenly seeing a lot of men and dogs going in the same direction. Some were walking in single file lines.

"We're getting ready to start heading back south to find any enemies that might be left, so get plenty of rest, food, and ammunition." The young marine gave his shoulder a pat before hurrying off to join the others.

Alfred stood up, but went into the hospital instead. He did tell Sione that he'd return once they let him go.

* * *

_If I die young, bury me in satin_  
_Lay me down on a bed of roses_  
_Sink me in the river at dawn_  
_Send me away with the words of a love song._

* * *

**Author's Note:** I apologize if this was an awful, or choppy, chapter :c However, the way Clara had given Rocket to Alfred is not completely made up. One American marine who was present at the Batttle of Guam in 1944, and was a dog handler, said that when they returned to the United States he discovered that the dog's owner had died of a disease while they were gone. Therefore, leaving the dog into his care. Also, after the war, the marines began to work on training the dogs to be house pets again rather than fighters, or else the ones who came in as strays would be put to sleep. Not all the marines were able to keep their furry companions, for some of them did still have families that wanted them back. However, there were a good few that were able to keep them.

The lyrics right at the end are from a song called "If I Die Young," performed by The Band Perry.

-The Battle of Guam 1944 lasted from July 21 to August 10.  
-August 11, the day after American's declared Guam secure, Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata, who had been giving orders to the Japanese since July 28, 1944, committed ritual suicide.  
-The gruesome sights mentioned in this chapter are based on real statements given by the marines who were there.  
-After getting the island back under their control, the Americans made the long journey back to the southern tip of the island, capturing (or killing) any Japanese that were still left on the island. They used flamethrowers to burn any dense vegetation, or any Japanese pillboxes.  
-A pillbox is basically a type of bunker, or hardened shelter buried partly or fully underground. Pillboxes in particular were usually equipped with loopholes through which to fire weapons. They got the name "pillbox" due to their perceived similarity to the cylindrical boxes in which medical pills were once sold.

**I have a new poll on my profile: "What story should I work on next?" Whichever story gets second place, I will work on that at the same time as the one that gets first pick! Each voter will be allowed to have multi-selection, but it is limited to 2 selections!  
**


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** WARNING for my readers who are not yaoi fans, this chapter does contain some yaoi fluff, but nothing explicit. Also, I know an average dog can't live all the way from the World War II era to the present day, but this is fiction. Plus, I actually looked Pochi up on the Hetalia wiki and it doesn't say his age or how long he has been with Kiku, so... Let's just go with it! Hetalia was originally supposed to be funny, was it not?

* * *

Chapter 10  
The Now

June 10, 2011... A plane flew over and across the Pacific Ocean before safely reaching its destination, Guam. All the tourists and business men aboard it grabbed their 'carry on's, making their way through customs and then to the baggage claim. Among those tourists were Alfred F. Jones and Kiku Honda, along with their dogs Pochi and Rocket, who were both in a pet carrier. Rocket's carrier, being so large, had to be put on a small cart to get it around the airport. It wasn't like Alfred was feeling any stress, though, not with that incredible strength of his.

Waiting for them outside was Sione, who looked more like a man now than he did back during the war. He beamed at them both.

"Alfred! Kiku! Welcome to my home!" He shook hands with Alfred and bowed at Kiku, who returned the bow. "I have your rented car ready! Follow me."

Sione led them through the parking lot until they reached a shining red car.

"Do you need any help with your luggage?" he asked as he popped open the trunk.

"Nah, I got it!" Alfred loaded the two suitcases into the trunk with ease and closed it.

"Do we just follow you?" he asked Sione.

"Yes, just try not to fall behind." Sione got into his own shining black car and started the engine.

Before getting into the car, Alfred squatted down and let Rocket out of his carrier.

"Come on, boy, let's get you out of that thing!" he beamed at the Lab, who gladly complied and shook himself once he was out.

"Alfred, what are you doing?" asked Kiku, visibly nervous.

"Well, I wasn't going to keep him in that carrier," he opened the back door so Rocket could hop in, "Come on, let Pochi out too!"

Kiku glanced at Rocket warily before releasing Pochi and sitting him down in the back seat with the much larger dog. The Lab barked at Pochi happily, who shied away from him, or tried to, rather since Rocket cuddled right up to him. After putting the two carriers into Sione's car trunk and shutting it, Alfred hoped into the driver's seat while Kiku took the passenger's seat. The American cranked up the air conditioning to expel the muggy heat from the car. Though Kiku did think it was a bit too high, he didn't complain either since the cool air felt refreshing against his sweaty skin.

Somewhere along the drive, Rocket suddenly stuck his head between Alfred and Kiku, making the Japanese man flinch and press himself against the window as he tried to scoot away from the dog as far as possible. His efforts were in vain, for all Rocket had to do was crane his neck a little farther to bury his nose into Kiku's black hair.

"Alfred, please."

"Aw, Kiku, he's not going to hurt you."

"I still don't want him near me!" Kiku hesitantly put his arm up to shield his face from Rocket's tongue. The arm that Kiku put up was, ironically, the same one Rocket had bitten into.

Alfred couldn't help but chuckle at the other's reaction, "Okay, okay. Rocket, down. Leave Kiku alone."

The dog gave a whine but obeyed his partner's command and withdrew to his place in the backseat.

After half an hour of driving, both cars stopped at a secluded beach. All passengers, including the dogs, hopped out of their vehicles and walked onto the warm sand. It was a lovely place. The ocean was a deep blue color and was shimmering as the sun reflected off its waters; the sand was not brown, or tan-colored, but white; palm and coconut trees dotted the area; then the waves kissed at the shore with white foam, sometimes softly and roughly at others.

"It's beautiful." said Kiku, awestruck.

"Hey, it's what I do," Sione folded his hands, "You know the way to the resort from here, right?"

Kiku nodded. "We do."

"Alright, I'll leave you guys alone for now. I'll be waiting at the hotel so we can have dinner together." said Sione, smiling.

"Sounds good." Alfred gave him a thumbs up.

The Guamanian gave a single nod before walking back to his car, warming it up, and then driving off. Once neither of the two could hear the engine, Alfred walked back to their red car, opened the trunk, and then opened his own suitcase to get the large towel he had packed near the top. Rocket followed him and was jumping up and down eagerly. Alfred laughed as he finally got a hold of the towel and was zipping his suitcase back up.

"I know, I know! I'm hurrying!"

Rocket was barking now. He darted ahead of Alfred as they walked back to Kiku and Pochi. He went straight past them (although he almost ran poor little Pochi over in the process) and into the water. The smaller dog sent an angry glare Rocket's way and inched closer to his master. Alfred unfolded the towel and laid it over the white sand. When Pochi saw Alfred put an arm around Kiku's waist, he decided that it'd probably be best if he left them alone. He went towards the water, but he didn't go in, he just chased the waves and ran from incoming ones. Meanwhile, Rocket was having a ball swimming in the shallow area, splashing water in every direction.

Alfred and Kiku took a seat on the towel, with Alfred's arms wrapped around Kiku's shoulders now and with Kiku rested his back against Alfred's chest as they looked over the breathtaking scenery once more.

"Alfred?" Kiku called.

"Yeah?"

"The dark-haired man went silent for a moment.

"Actually… never mind."

He felt Alfred's arms tighten around him.

"Look, Kiku, I know that we shouldn't forget what took place on this island, but for now, try not to think about it. Okay? We did come here for a vacation." Alfred rested his chin on Kiku's shoulder.

The other man sighed softly and gave a single nod of his head. The blond cracked a smile and unwrapped one of his arms from Kiku so he could take his hand into his own and bring it to his lips. He kissed the finger that had the gold ring around it, making Kiku smile. That, for Alfred, was an encouragement to go on. He released the hand and began to shower the back of the other's neck with light kisses. Kiku blushed and squirmed a bit.

"Alfred, not here." he said.

"Why? It's not like anyone's going to see us." Alfred spoke between kisses.

"But the dogs…"

"They won't tell a soul."

Just as Alfred latched onto the side of Kiku's neck, Rocket started barking loudly nonstop, ruining his concentration. Kiku could feel the taller man frown against his flesh before he begrudgingly let go and let out an annoyed huff.

"Rocket, you have got to be kidding m—Oh no…" Alfred looked in the dog's direction and saw a very wet Labrador Retriever coming their way.

"I know what you're planning." He pointed a finger as Rocket got closer.

"Don't you dare! Rocket, I swear, if you do-…!" said Lab shook himself, sending water flying in all directions and cutting Alfred off.

Most of it landed on the couple since he had gotten so close to them. Kiku made a surprised noise and put his hands up, but both he and Alfred were soaked when the shaking stopped. Alfred rose to his feet, removed his shirt, and kicked off his sandals.

"Why you…! I'm gonna get you for that!" he chased Rocket back into the water.

He wasn't angry, though, in fact, he was laughing so hard as they waded through the salty water as fast as they could. Despite his clothes having a salty smell to them now, Kiku had to smile at the sight of them. He grabbed Pochi when the dog came close to him and settled him comfortably on his lap. Their moment was short-lived, however, when Alfred rushed over and scooped Kiku into his arms, taking Pochi with him. He was carrying them towards the ocean.

"A-Alfred, no!" Kiku struggled in Alfred's grasp while trying to keep Pochi from falling at the same time.

As usual, the American only laughed. "Aw, come on, Kiku! The water feels great!"

* * *

Notes:

- Despite the events that happened in Guam during WWII, visitors from Japan actually make up about 80% of the tourist market there, which is why Kiku and Sione are not showing aggressive behavior towards one another.  
- Guam has become quite a tourist destination. Approximately 1.2 million tourists arrive in Guam each year generating about $1.35 billion revenues.


	12. Omake

Omake

"So no one wants to help me build a giant hero?" Alfred scanned the conference room, looking into the faces of the other Nations.

Arthur let out an annoyed sigh and slammed a hand down onto the table. "For the last time, that plan isn't going to work!"

"But how do you know if we don't even try?" Alfred pouted.

"We would only be wasting money!" Germany intervened.

"Ve, I wouldn't want that. I won't be able to buy as much pasta."

"Hey, Měiguó, when are you going to pay back the money you owe me, aru?"

"Uh…."

"If Jao wants, I can be his debt collector~ Maybe that will help comrade Alfred pay faster."

"Does anybody want a churro?"

"Why don't we all have some wine too?"

"No, beer is better!"

A sigh. "Why does every conference end up like this?"

"Who are you?"

"Canada…"

Suddenly, the loud cry of an air horn pierced through everyone's chatter (and probably their eardrums too). Everyone looked in Alfred's direction and sure enough, he was holding the contraption in his hand. He even pressed the button a second time, emitting another loud honk.

"Goddamnit! What was that for, asshole?" Lovino snapped.

"Nothing, really, I've just always wanted to use this at a conference!" said Alfred, grinning. He tossed the air horn aside. "Oh! That's right! I have these papers that I have to read!"

He opened his briefcase, taking out five pages of paper. He cleared his throat and began to read aloud. As he was reading, he couldn't help but notice that some of the Nations were making weird faces, or jumping slightly in their chairs. He tried to ignore them and concentrate on his papers, but it only got more distracting when some Nations bent over to look under the table.

"And so, by doing this we should be able to—Ah, WHAT THE HELL?" in the middle of his sentence, Alfred felt something press up against his crotch. With the papers still in his hand, he himself looked under the table. A wide grin soon replaced his flustered expression.

"Rocket, that was you?" he laughed.

The Lab got out from underneath the table and put his front paws on Alfred's knees. He had on his usual happy demeanor: tongue hanging out of his mouth, shining brown eyes, and his tail wagging back and forth.

"Can't you control that dog, Yankee?" one of the other Nations shouted across the table. A chorus of "yes"-es and yeah's followed.

Alfred played with Rocket's ears. "Aw, he's was just trying to get to know you all!"

* * *

**A/N:**The promised omake! I hope this makes up for the rushed ending, I just really wanted to get this fic over with and start on my other ones. The poll results for what story I should work on next... **Child of the Empty Cradle** came in first place, so I will start posting that! In second place was **I Am a Pirate, You Are a Prince**, so I will be working on that as well! Again, I'm glad I went through with this story and now I'm glad I've finally finished it. Thank you all for reading it.

Notes: I'm sure everyone, if not, most people, know that dogs do sniff humans' crotches to identify them. That's what Alfred meant by "getting to know you all" XD And yes, that is why everyone was making those "weird faces" because they felt Rocket's nose at their... well, vital regions.

"Měiguó" is "America" in Chinese.


End file.
